Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
As far as India is concerned, the Chinese threat looms larger than ever, and while
it may have been impolitic and undiplomatic of India's Defense Minister George
Fernandes to openly cite China as a major justification of India's nuclear tests, he
verbalized publicly what many Indians privately express (much like many
Americans). Indeed, Indian analysts are increasingly asking the question as to
why the US finds it difficult to take India's security concerns regarding China
seriously when Americans themselves are worried about China, although the
Bush administration appears to be redressing this anomaly.
India is also faced with the unsettling knowledge that since the end of the Cold
War, Russia's relations with China have been warming considerably. Currently,
India and China are Russia's two largest arms recipients, trading places over the
1990s for first or second place. 44 Russian leaders have termed both China and
India as 'strategic partners' during respective visits to Beijing and New Delhi, a
noticeable departure from the past when there was no question that Russia saw
China as a strategic competitor, with the special relationship reserved for India.
Russia has indicated some sensitivity to India's concern about the massive
build up of Chinese military capabilities via Russian weapons sales, but in
practice, the Russians are doing little to address the repercussions for India. In
1996, India ordered 40 Su-30 multipurpose aircraft, with Russia prepared to
upgrade them to Su-30 MK according to Indian specifications, utilizing Indian,
French and Israeli avionics, which apparently the Chinese were also interested
in. During a visit by Indian Defense Secretary Ajit Singh to Moscow in
November 1998, the Russians assured him that they would not sell the Su-30 MK
multipurpose fighter to China or any other neighboring country in deference to
India. Subsequently however, the Russians changed their mind and decided to go
ahead with sales to China, fitting the aircraft with avionics according to Chinese
specifications. 45
So far, India has not appeared to be unduly concerned about the Russo-
Chinese arms ties, but such cooperation might well reach a level that India may
find hard to ignore. India may be counting on Russia's own self-interest to
provide a check against unrestrained help to China since there is a strong opinion
in Russia that it is a mistake to elevate Chinese capabilities which could be
turned against the Russians. After all, China has been Russia's traditional foe and
is seen as the only other regional power that can seriously challenge or
potentially deny a dominant Russian role in the Eurasian balance of power.
There is also widespread opinion in Russia that implicitly undercuts the notion
of allying with an autocratic China directed against a democratic west. 46 The
Russians may be calculating that China, which has serious gaps in its military
arsenal and lags behind Russian capabilities by 15 or more years, can continue to
absorb substantial quantities of Russian weaponry for the near future without
shifting the balance. Conversely, India which does not have such luxury vis-à-vis
China, may have no choice but to augment its own arsenal, thereby allowing
Search WWH ::




Custom Search