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Army Chief General Manoj Pande on Friday said smaller and larger countries expect New Delhi to play a more proactive role in the Indo-Pacific region amid Beijing’s assertiveness, calling it “India’s moment in the sun”.
Speaking at the India Today Conclave on the topic “India and the Indo-Pacific, Threats and Opportunities”, General Manoj Pande said India’s geostrategic location gave it an edge in the region, and it was time to leverage the opportunities.
General Pande said the rivalry between the two superpowers — China and the United States — was the biggest threat in the region. The Army Chief said India, as a stakeholder in this region, had to be careful to prevent the “contestation from turning into a conflict”.
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“Both China and the US have different approaches towards the Indo-Pacific. China is looking at it through a global security initiative, whereas the US is looking at the region in terms of liberal international order. There is also a hypothesis that China is looking at this region for mutual benefit. We need to be careful that this contestation doesn’t turn into conflict,” he said.
The Indo-Pacific region has been key in shaping global politics in recent times. It is home to 64% of the global population, and around 50% of global trade passes through the region.
General Pande said apart from the conventional threats, the region was witnessing a rise in non-conventional threats like regional rivalry, Islamic fundamentalism, cross-border human and drug trafficking, and cyber warfare.
ARMY CHIEF ON SITUATION ALONG CHINA BORDER
With the border standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) entering its fourth year, the Army Chief said the situation was “stable but sensitive”. He also said the Army had ensured adequate infantry reserves across the entire length of the LAC.
“We need to keep a close watch and monitor activities across the LAC. Our deployment in terms of troops is extremely robust. Our focus is on infrastructural development, strategic road connectivity, and all-weather connectivity right up to the border,” he said.
Chinese and Indian troops have been locked in a standoff since May 5, 2020, in eastern Ladakh along the LAC. There have been reports of aggressive confrontations and skirmishes at various locations along the Sino-Indian border even though there have been resolution at certain friction points.
So far, the two sides have completed the disengagement process on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area.
