LAC: China resorted to ‘my way or no way’ policies but India stood firm, says CDS General Rawat

(This story originally appeared in on Apr 15, 2021)

China resorted to “my way or no way” policies but India stood firm in preventing a change in the status quo on its northern borders in eastern Ladakh and garnered international support for it, said chief of defence staff General Bipin Rawat on Thursday.

Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue, Gen Rawat said China feels “it has arrived” on the world stage because of its “superior” armed forces, equipped with “advanced and disruptive technologies” that can paralyze an adversary’s strategic systems as well as energy, banking, transport and communication grids.

“They (Chinese) feel that by doing a little bit of shove-and-push, they will be able to compel nations to give into their demands. But I think India has stood firm on its northern borders and we have proven that we will not get pushed,” said the CDS.

The international community has come to India’s support by affirming that every country must follow the international rules-based order, without seeking to unilaterally alter the status quo.

“China tried to change the status quo by the use of disruptive technologies without using force…They thought that India, as a nation, will succumb to the pressures that they have been putting on us because of the technological advantage that they have. But that did not happen,” said the CDS.

There has been no overall de-escalation in the year-long military confrontation in eastern Ladakh till now, with China refusing to even complete the stalled troop disengagement at Gogra, Hot Springs and Demchok despite several rounds of diplomatic and military talks.

At the Raisina Dialogue, chief of staff of the Japanese Self Defence Forces General Koji Yamazaki also slammed China’s attempts to unilaterally change the status quo in areas like the Taiwan Strait as well as the East and South China Seas.

China does not recognize the legitimate interests of Japan and other countries in the region and such an approach will heighten tensions and directly affect the stability of not just these areas but the entire Indo-Pacific region, he said.

Australian chief of defence forces General Angus Campbell, in turn, said, “(China’s) Grey zone tactics are a way to nibble away at territory. We see this in the South China Sea. It is very challenging to respond without breaching the line that leads to open conflict.”

On Afghanistan, Gen Rawat said the international community must ensure the withdrawal of the US and other forces from the conflict-ravaged country does not “create space for other disruptors to step in”.

Though he did not name Pakistan or China in this context, the CDS said there were some countries “looking at the opportunity” to step into the vacuum. “Afghanistan is a nation rich in resources. There are some nations who tend to exploit such resources for their own benefit without the benefit going to the community or the nation concerned. This should be prevented…Afghanistan should be for the Afghans,” he added.