China: Threat or Challenge?

Indian Defence Review (IDR) had earlier, in 2011, published a Book titled “Threat from China” edited by Late Bharat Verma. Team IDR felt that since May 2014 when the National Democratic Alliance government took over the reins of governance in India bringing in a more focussed, dynamic and assertive approach in conduct of its foreign relations, it was necessary to review the security paradigm between India and China. Moreover, around the same time there had been a tactile parallel change in leadership at the helm in China too. 

During the preliminary discussions there were strong views from a certain section of the community of academic scholars and diplomats that China was not an existential THREAT. However, the military community felt that the People’s Liberation Army’s substantive military modernisation manifested such a THREAT. The academic and diplomatic community did feel that there was surely a CHALLENGE in dealing with an assertive rising China - more relevant with a decline of US interest in Asia. To accommodate both views the Title was thus revised to China - Threat or Challenge?”

The Book is a compilation of articles written and published in the IDR since May 2014. Some articles are by Authors who were requested to express their contrary views on the subject so as to present to the Readers broad based views of various Authors across the spectrum on issues impacting India-China bilateral relations. The final verdict, of course, lies entirely with the discerning Readers.

Contents: 
From the Editor

• Assessing China’s Rise - Maj Gen Vivek Sehgal
• Rising China: The Middle Kingdoms Aspirations for Global Power Status - Lt Gen JS Bajwa
• On the China ‘Threat’ to India - Jabin T Jacob
• China: India’s Biggest Challenge - Jayadeva Ranade
• China: A Threat or A Challenge - Maj Gen Sheru Thapliyal
• China’s Military Reforms - MV Rappai
• Dynamics of China’s Future Warfighting Potential - Lt Gen JS Bajwa
• Impact of PLA Reforms on Indian Armed Forces - Maj Gen PK Chakravorty
• The PLA: A Bull in the China Shop vs Reticent Indian Army - Brig Deepak Sinha
• Meeting the Chinese Challenge through Cooperative Security - Brig Gurmeet Kanwal
• China a Threat or a Challenge: Its Air Power Potential - Air Marshal RS Bedi
• Could the IAF be Confronted with Computer Stuffed | Cockpits of PLAAF? - Sqn Ldr Vijendra K Thakur
• The Dragon’s Adventures in the Indian Ocean - Vice Admiral Anup Singh
• Acupuncture Warfare: China’s Cyberwar Doctrine and Implications for India - Brig Gurmeet Kanwal
• China’s Neighbourhood Challenges - Col Harjeet Singh
• China’s Propped up Proxies making India’s Neighbourhood Inimical - Lt Gen JS Bajwa
• Militarisation of the South China Sea: The Offence-Defense Paradigm - S Rajasimman
• South China Sea Imbroglio: Through the Prism of PLAs Grand Strategy of ‘Unrestricted Warfare’ - Maj Gen Rajiv Narayanan
• Spectre of China’s Artificial Islands - Prof Swaran Singh & | Dr Lilian Yamamoto
• China’s Game of Territorial Claims - Lt Gen Gautam Banerjee
• Solving the Sino-Indian Border Dispute: One Million Indians for a Road - Nicolas Groffman
• Historically India’s Soft Power Comes a Cropper to Chinese Irredentist Belligerence - Lt Gen JS Bajwa
• China’s Internal Fissures - Claude Arpi
• The Tibet Issue - A Troubled Neighbourhood - Lt Gen PC Katoch
• Dual Infrastructure in Tibet: A Threatening Scenario for India? - Claude Arpi
• Is the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor a Threat to India? - Jabin T Jacob
• Is China a threat to the Indian Economy? - Aravind Yelery