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Economic Times | 28 Jun, 2020 | 04.40PM IST
India-China Live: How India stacks up against China
Even though India has been spending more than China on defence as a percentage of government spending — 8.8% compared to 5.4% by China — Chinese defence spending completely dwarfs India’s in real terms because China’s economy is much larger.
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China will have to pay a "heavy price" for decades for resorting to aggressive military behaviour towards India in eastern Ladakh as it will isolate the country globally, strategic affairs experts said on Saturday.
How India stacks up against China
- China spends $182 per person per year on defence.
- Indian per capita spending on defence is less than one-third: $52 per person.
- Even though India has been spending more than China on defence as a percentage of government spending — 8.8% compared to 5.4% by China — Chinese defence spending completely dwarfs India’s in real terms because China’s economy is much larger.
- China, in 2019, was estimated by SIPRI to have spent $261 billion on defence, more than three-and-a-half times India’s estimated $71 billion.
- In the last 10 years, Chinese military spending more than doubled, from $115.7 billion in 2010 to $261 billion in 2019.
- Indian military spending, on the other hand, is estimated to have gone up only by half from $46 billion in 2010.
- Second, though India’s defence budget gets the highest allocation of all ministries, much of it goes into wages.
- This year the defence ministry will be spending almost as much on pensions (28.4%) as on salaries (30.2%).
- Third, China’s increased military spending is part of a clear strategic ramp-up.
- The PLA was not a modern force until a decade ago.
- Xi Jinping termed the problems with the Chinese military as the ‘Five Incapables’ and publicly set a target in 2012 to turn the PLA into a “world class force” by 2030.
- Since then, China not only downsized its Army personnel by 300,000, it reorganised the army, navy and air force into five integrated “theatre commands” for greater battle efficiency.
- In contrast, India’s army (7), navy (3) and air force (7) operate a total of 19 commands, all separately managed by each service (except two joint commands).
- Fourth, there is a weapons gap. The Indian Navy is deployed on the eastern seaboard but has only 16 submarines, compared to China’s 74. Indian Air Force has 538 combat aircraft, China’s has 1,232. India has 8,686 armoured vehicles, the Chinese over 30,000.
General Naravane is believed to have spoken to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on emergency equipment purchases required and conveyed the Indian Army’s assessment of PLA activities along LAC.
Satellite images show buildup on disputed India-China border
- Construction activity appeared underway on both the Indian and Chinese sides of a contested border high in the Karakoram mountains a week after a deadly clash in the area left 20 Indian soldiers dead, satellite images showed.
- The images released this week by Maxar, a Colorado-based satellite imagery company, show new construction activity along the Galwan River Valley, even as Chinese and Indian diplomats said military commanders had agreed to disengage from a standoff there.
- The images appeared to show that the Indians had built a wall on their side and the Chinese had expanded an outpost camp at the end of a long road connected to Chinese military bases farther from the poorly defined border, according to experts.
- The contradictions in words and deeds showed the fragility of an agreement following the worst violence since the Asian giants went to war in 1962 over their competing claims to the arid border region, experts said.
To curb Chinese imports, make Indian manufacturing competitive, widespread says Maruti Suzuki chairman
- The answer to calls for boycotting Chinese imports lies in making Indian manufacturing much more competitive, deeper and widespread, but people should remember that shunning products from the neighbouring country may lead to them paying more for goods, Maruti Suzuki Chairman R C Bhargava said.
- While stating that importing continuously for long period "is not really in anybody's commercial interest", Bhargava also asserted that certain products continue to be imported as there is "little choice in the matter" due to their non-availability in India, or because of quality and pricing issues.
- "Everybody knows that importing products over time actually becomes more and more expensive as the rupee gets weaker. If you were importing something 10 years ago, the same product today will cost 60-70 per cent higher..."So it is not really in anybody's commercial interest to continue to import, you import because you really have little choice in the matter," Bhargava told PTI in an interview.
- He further said, "The answer to the sentiments which are being expressed is to make Indian manufacturing much more competitive, much more deeper, much more widespread. What the Prime Minister has said about 'Atmanirbhar' means exactly that. If you start making more products in India at competitive prices, people will not import those products."
- Asked if companies, including those in the automotive sector, need to worry in the wake of rising voices against Chinese imports following Indo-China border clashes in Ladakh, Bhargava said, "This is a natural reaction to what has happened on the border. We had this happen with Pakistan also. It doesn't become policy. I think the policymakers think carefully before they make or unmake a policy. They don't react to popular sentiments."
'When will there be talk of national security, defence?' Rahul Gandhi attacks PM Narendra Modi's 'Mann Ki Baat'
Chinese capabilities
- In the last couple of weeks, the Chinese forces have brought in heavy air superiority aircraft like the Sukhoi-30 and its strategic bombers to the rear locations which have been detected flying near the Indian territory maintaining the 10 km plus distance from the boundary.
- Sources said the Chinese choppers have been flying their very close to the Indian LAC in all the troubled sectors including the Sub Sector North (Daulat Beg Oldie sector), Galwan valley near Patrolling Point 14, Patrolling Point 15, Patrolling Point 17 and 17A (Hot Springs area) along with the Pangong Tso and Finger area where they are now moving closer to the Finger 3 area.
India deploys QRSAM defence system
Amid heightened Chinese fighter aircraft and helicopter activities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian armed forces have deployed their advanced very quick-reaction surface-to-air missile defence systems in the Eastern Ladakh sector.
Galwan valley was never part of China’s claims until 1960. In the 1950s when Beijing first asserted its right over Aksai Chin by building what is today the 2342 km China National Highway 219 connecting its western province of Xinjiang with Tibet, it also pushed its claim with India further south-west.
A brigade of the PLA's Hong Kong Garrison held a competition named "The King of the Gun" recently.
Good shot! A brigade of the PLA's Hong Kong Garrison held a competition named "The King of the Gun" recently. Check… https://t.co/7xVJllScCy
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) 1593326419000"A befitting reply has been given to those who cast an evil eye on Indian territory in Ladakh. Our brave soldiers have shown that they will never allow the honour of mother India to be hurt," PM Modi said.
Tightening import norms, India will check all power equipment bought from China for malware and Trojan horses that can be potentially used to trigger electricity grid failures to cripple economic activity in the country, Power Minister R K Singh said.
India has given befitting reply in Ladakh to those who eyed its territory: PM Narendra Modi on Mann ki Baat
According to Breitbart, the Chinese government is struggling to silence the families of soldiers who are using Weibo and other platforms to vent their anger and frustration, reports ANI.
IAF's qualitative edge
- “IAF can quickly deploy more fighters than PLAAF from its several airbases near the LAC to degrade China’s military capabilities on the ground,” said a source.
- More importantly, despite grappling with just 30 fighter squadrons when at least 42 are needed to tackle the collusive China-Pakistan threat, IAF also has a qualitative edge over PLAAF.
- The impending progressive induction of 36 Rafale fighters will further add to it.
China sent martial artists to India border before deadly clash: State media
- China reinforced its troops near the Indian border with mountain climbers and martial arts fighters shortly before a deadly clash this month, state media reported.
- Five new militia divisions including former members of a Mount Everest Olympic torch relay team and fighters from a mixed martial arts club presented themselves for inspection at Lhasa on June 15, official military newspaper China National Defense News reported.
- State broadcaster CCTV showed footage of hundreds of new troops lining up in the Tibetan capital.
- Tibet commander Wang Haijiang said the Enbo Fight Club recruits would "greatly raise the organization and mobilization strength" of troops and their "rapid response and support ability," China National Defense News reported, although he did not explicitly confirm their deployment was linked to ongoing border tensions.
In just 5 days, BRO rebuilds bridge near China border
A crucial bridge on the Munsyari-Milam road near the India-China border in Uttarakhand that collapsed on June 22 when an earthmover was being taken across it has been rebuilt by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) within a record time of five days. Traffic was restored on the stretch on Saturday. A BRO official who did not wish to be named, told that the bridge reconstruction was taken up on priority since it is a "strategic important link." "Generally, it takes around a month to build a bridge like this but we were able to complete the reconstruction of this bridge in a record time."
India vs China
South China Sea disputes should be resolved in line with international law: Pompeo
IAF watching Chinese bases, sure of matching air power
- India is closely tracking Chinese air bases in Tibet and Xinjiang, which witnessed an initial build-up of fighters, bombers, drones and other aircraft as border tensions escalated on the ground, but is not too perturbed about air combat power along the LAC, with IAF seen to pack a solid operational punch.
- There has been "no major or fresh infusion of assets" by the People's Liberation Army-Air Force at Hotan and Kashgar in Xinjiang as well as Gargunsa, Lhasa-Gonggar and Shigatse airbases, some of which also function as civilian airfields, said defence sources. But the Indian Army and IAF, as part of their "total combat potential" deployed along the 3,488-km LAC after border skirmishes in Ladakh, are ready in full stregth to tackle aerial threats.
India moves air defence missile systems into Eastern Ladakh sector
Amid heightened Chinese fighter aircraft and helicopter activities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Indian armed forces have deployed their advanced very quick-reaction surface-to-air missile defence systems in the Eastern Ladakh sector.
Russia agrees to look at advancing S-400 delivery
Russia has agreed to look at ways to advance the delivery of the S-400 Triumf missile defence system following India’s request amid growing tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).Russia had postponed the delivery of the S-400 system to December 2021 on account of the Covid-19 pandemic. New Delhi, sources said, is keen that Moscow makes special arrangement for India’s order, which has apparently been bunched with some other countries.
ASEAN takes position against China's vast historical sea claims
Satellite images show buildup on disputed India-China border
The images released this week by Maxar, a Colorado-based satellite imagery company, show new construction activity along the Galwan River Valley, even as Chinese and Indian diplomats said military commanders had agreed to disengage from a standoff there.
Copyright © 2020 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service
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