China's Defence Policy: Indian Perspectives

Gurmeet Kanwal and Dhruv C Katoch

China’s rise on the world stage has been relentless and consistent over the past two decades. This rise is concurrent with the United States’ perceived decline as an economic power with resultant expectations of waning US influence on the world stage. Today the story of China’s growth has become a subject of avid discussion and analysis not only among world leaders, academicians and members of the strategic community, but even by the print and visual media and sections of the public at large.

Over the last decade, China has been biennially releasing White Papers on National Defence. This book gives out an invaluable Indian critique on China’s national defence policy, nuclear environment, maritime strategy, leap frogging development in space warfare and network centric warfare capabilities with a special reference to the White Paper released in 2010. Above all, it provides a road map on China’s plans to deal with its perceived security challenges.

As China rises, its core issues have expanded from Tibet and Taiwan to the South China Sea, which is a deviation from its professed intentions of a peaceful rise and defence modernisation only for defence. What message is China trying to send ? This book allows the reader to pick out the gaps between professed Chinese intentions and practices on ground, which should lead to a better understanding of China’s rise, particularly for India’s security.

Gurmeet Kanwal and Dhruv C Katoch Brig Gurmeet Kanwal commanded an infantry brigade on the Line of Control (Operation Parakram, 2001-03) and an artillery regiment in counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir Valley (Operation Rakshak, 1993-94). Formerly Director Security Studies, Observer Research Foundation; Senior Fellow, IDSA; and Senior Fellow, Centre for Air Power Studies; at present he is Director, Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi. Brig Kanwal has authored several books, including Nuclear Defence: Shaping the Arsenal; Indian Army: Vision 2020; Pakistan’s Proxy War; Heroes of Kargil; Kargil ’99: Blood, Guts and Firepower and Artillery: Honour and Glory and writes on national security issues for leading newspapers.
Maj Gen Dhruv Katoch commanded a Mountain Division in the North East and was the Chief of Staff of a Corps in the Western Sector before retiring from service. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College and the National Defence College, New Delhi, he has served in Op Pawan in Sri Lanka, commanded a battalion on the Line of Control in J&K and a Sector in the North East. He also writes on non-military matters – both fiction and issues of societal concern. He is presently Additional Director, Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS).