The latest round of India-China military talks to defuse the almost 21-month-old standoff between the two countries has ended without any progress. China’s negotiating strategy incorporates stalling tactics, deception, information warfare, and extending negotiations to test the limits of the opponent’s position and strengthen its own leverage.
China has accelerated its frenzied building of warfighting infrastructure in the Himalayan borderlands amid an escalating confrontation with India. From heliports to electronic warfare stations, the speed and scale of its construction activities suggest that it is preparing to launch a war at any time it chooses.
China’s primary objective is to win without fighting. According to ancient military strategist Sun Zhu, ‘Being able to subdue an enemy without fighting is the most effective strategy’. Building a bridge over Lake Pangong, constructing militarized villages, and building roads inside Bhutan’s internationally recognized territory near India’s so-called chicken neck are just a few of the new pressure points that China is creating against India. In addition to psychological operations and media manipulation, it threatens war to persuade India to back down.
Despite Chinese pressure, India does not capitulate. Indian military deployments have exceeded Chinese deployments since China encroached on Ladakh’s borderlands. In terms of operational readiness, Indian armed forces are at a high level, according to Army chief General Manoj M Naravane. To be sure, India is in a very defensive position vis-à-vis China. China has created a situation in which it retains the initiative militarily and diplomatically. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could spring a new military surprise while India battles Beijing’s political games.
Meanwhile, China’s bridge across Pangong strengthens its offensive capability in the area, undermining the Indian decision to leave Kailash Heights less than a year ago. The withdrawal from the Kailash Heights, which overlooks China’s PLA garrison in Moldo, was a Chinese New Year gift from India. China also accepted ‘buffer zones’ in three separate Ladakh regions where it had intruded. India patrols a great deal of territory that has become a buffer zone.
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