You Cant Contain China Without India
Battle in SE Asia
The US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in a recent address to a conclave at Singapore brought home the fact that by 2020 the US would be transferring 80% of its fleet to the Asia Pacific region. Leon Panetta is credited with the view that China can be contained only by the USA and this view is accepted by Japan, S Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Leon Panetta is also aware that the USA alone cannot contain resurgent China which is building as many as 20 aircraft carriers. He needs the help of India which is facing a border problem with China. Panetta is no stranger to India having traveled to New Delhi many times when he was the CIA director.
India indispensable
In this background the coming visit of Leon Panetta to New Delhi is significant. India can tie up an immense number of Chinese troops in Tibet where their hold is tenuous with the Tibet people openly hostile to the Chinese occupation. This is the Achilles heel of China and India actions here will go a long way in containing China. In addition, the India Navy is the only navy which has an aircraft carrier and a nuclear submarine to counter China in the arc of SE Asia. Thus India’s role in contains China cannot be minimized.
India also has excellent relations with Vietnam where it is helping out with oil exploration in the South China Sea and the Philippines, whose President was the chief guest at the Military parade on republic day this year. In Asia the only counterpoise to China is India and the USA will be looking for enhanced cooperation with India in the defense field in the years to come.
Key Player
The problem of China cannot be wished away, perhaps it can be contained but the problem will remain till the communist party is overthrown in China. It happened in Russia and there is every reason it will happen in China. Till then the USA will have to deter China from any foolish adventure and in their calculations, India is a key player
