Dragon on our doorstep : managing China through military power

India might not admit it, but should it find itself involved in a border war with China it will lose. Apart from superior military power, close coordination between the political leadership and the military and the ability to take quick decisions, China has potent anti-satellite and cyber warfare capabilities. Even more shockingly, regardless of popular opinion, India today is not even in a position to win a war against Pakistan. This has nothing to do with Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. It is because while India has been focused on building military force (troops and materiel needed to wage war) Pakistan has built military power (learning how to optimally utilize its military force). In this lies the difference between losing and winning. Far from being the strong Asian power of its perception, India could find itself extremely vulnerable to the hostility of its powerful neighbors. In Dragon On Our Doorstep, Pravin Sawhney and Ghazala Wahab analyse the geopolitics of the region and the military strategies of the three Asian countries to tell us exactly why India is in this precarious position and how it can transform itself through deft strategy into a leading power. The most populous countries and fastest growing economies in the world—India and China—have cultural and economic relations that date back to the second century bc. But over the years, despite the many treaties and agreements between the two nations, border clashes (including the disastrous 1962 war) and disagreements over Tibet and Jammu and Kashmir have complicated the relationship. For decades China kept a low profile. However, since 2008, when it was recognized as an economic power, China has become assertive. Today, this Himalayan balancing act of power is clearly tilted towards China, in whose view there is room for only one power in Asia. In this rise, Pakistan has emerged as China’s most trusted and crucial partner. The partnership between China and Pakistan, whether in terms of military interoperability (ability to operate as one in combat), or geostrategic design (which is unfolding through the wide-sweeping One Belt One Road project), has serious implications for India. The best that India can do is try and manage the relationship so that the dragon’s rise is not at the cost of India. Title Page Copyright Page Dedication CONTENTS Prologue Introduction: How We Got Here SECTION I: Dragon On Our Doorstep 1. The Chinese Threat 2. Line of Constraint 3. Nightmare on the Line of Actual Control SECTION II: China’s Grand Strategy 4. Cold Start to a Hot War 5. War is Not an Option 6. China’s Grand Strategy SECTION III: The Choices Before India 7. The Choices Before India SECTION IV: Kashmir 8. Political Games at Work 9. Threat to Ladakh 10. AFSPA and Other Discontents SECTION V: Pakistan 11. The Demolition of the Babri Masjid and its Aftermath 12. The Pakistan Army SECTION VI: Building Military Power 13. A New Decision-making Structure 14. The Indian Armed Forces 15. The Nuclear Option 16. Quest for Technology 17. The Indigenous Defence Industry SECTION VII: Tibet 18. The Tibetan Struggle 19. The Dalai Lama SECTION VIII: The Insurgencies Within 20. The Insurgencies Within SECTION IX: The High Seas 21. Lanes of Influence 22. Adrift on the High Seas Epilogue: The Winning Strategy Acknowledgements Notes and References Introduction: How We Got Here -- Dragon On Our Doorstep -- China's Grand Strategy -- The Choices Before India -- Kashmir -- Pakistan -- Building Military Power -- Tibet -- The Insurgencies Within -- The High Seas. Pravin Sawhey & Ghazala Wahab. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.