Pune:

India’s chief of defense staff, General Anil Chauhan, on Monday called the unstable Sino-Indian border and the rise of China “the most difficult challenges” facing India and the Indian armed forces in the “foreseeable future”.

General Anil Chauhan, in his speech at the Third Strategic and Security Dialogue on the Rise of China and Its Impact on the World in Pune, said, “The challenge we face today is border instability. India Ancient borders started to form There were strict borders under British rule but they could not get the legitimacy of international borders at independence so we inherited disputed borders. China occupied Tibet making them their new neighbor and the partition of India Creating a new nation that thrives on hostility and hatred towards us.”

The event was organized by Department of Defense and Strategic Studies, Savitribai Phule Pune University. General Chouhan termed unstable borders as the challenge facing India today.

General Chouhan said, “Today, India has border disputes with both our neighbours. The disputes have triggered conflicts, leading to the emergence of terms like Line of Actual Control, Line of Control and Line of Actual Ground Positions. The border with China is unresolved, and The Rise of India”. China will remain the most difficult challenge facing India and the Indian armed forces for the foreseeable future. “

He said the armed forces needed to safeguard the legitimacy of India’s claims on the disputed border during peacetime and stressed the need for shrewd handling of the People’s Liberation Army at all friction points. General Chauhan said both sides need to operate within the rules of engagement.

“The armed forces need to maintain the legitimacy of our claims to this disputed border in peacetime. This will require the PLA to be very shrewd at all points of friction, to remain firm, and for both sides to operate within agreed rules. .Like all contested borders, adversaries will be tempted to create new facts, markers, terrain or cartographic aggression, or create new narratives. This will once again require a collective counterattack from all of us at all levels General Anil Chauhan Said, this will include academicians, strategists, thinkers, students, everyone must work together.

CDS General Anil Chauhan said the relationship between the two countries cannot be viewed from a binary perspective. He stressed that China’s rise would also affect other countries, calling on like-minded countries to seek a fair balance.

Referring to Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s recent comments on India’s relations with China during a television program, General Chouhan said, “The day before yesterday, EAM said, ‘China-India relations are not just about border disputes.’” Likewise, in an increasingly mutual world In a connected world, China-India relations cannot be viewed from a binary perspective. China’s rise will affect other countries as well, and we must focus on like-minded countries to achieve a fair balance, while recognizing the fact that a man must be prepared to fight his own wars, a popular saying goes. “

Regarding technological advancement, General Chouhan warned against allowing a major technological gap to develop between India and its direct adversaries and highlighted its potential adverse consequences.

“There used to be a technology denial system, but what we are seeing now is a race to maintain technological superiority. India cannot afford a major technology gap between us and our direct adversaries, which will be fatal for us,” General George Han said.

Earlier on March 12, India strongly refuted China’s remarks about Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh, saying that the northeastern state will always be “an integral part of India.”

India’s Ministry of External Affairs claimed in a statement that China’s opposition to Indian leaders’ visits or Indian development projects was “unjustified”.

“We do not accept China’s remarks about the Prime Minister’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh. Indian leaders visit Arunachal Pradesh from time to time like they visit other states in India. Opposition to such visits or development projects in India is untenable .” MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Furthermore, this does not change the reality that Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always be an integral part of India. China has stated this consistent position many times. “

Before Jaiswal made the above statement, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press conference that China was “strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed” to Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the “eastern section of the China-India border” and had raised concerns with India. Prime Minister Modi virtually inaugurated the strategic Sierra Tunnel on March 9 at an event in Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh.

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