Pune, India’s attention towards Pakistan was driven largely by the continuing threat of terrorism, but China is going to be New Delhi’s main competitor across multiple domains in the long-term, asserted former Army chief General Manoj Naravane on Thursday.
But I think we are very clear that in the long term and in the years to come, China is going to be our main competitor. “There comes a moment when you realise that this is not going to happen. “That is why the armed forces have to be ready at all times. “You can’t choose your neighbours, in real life also, and in geopolitics also.
Because of their continued support to terrorism, our attention is towards our western borders, “We have fought major wars with Pakistan, and. And therefore, you have to have a strong deterrence,” Naravane said, adding the Indian armed forces must remain prepared at all times.
And I purposely use the word competitor and not enemy,” Naravane said. China, he said, would compete with India across multiple domains, including politics, economics, trade and military affairs. At the same time, he said India must maintain credible military preparedness to deter any potential misadventure. You have to have a strong deterrence to stop anybody from taking recourse to the use of force or any misadventure,” he said. On India’s wider neighbourhood, Naravane said New Delhi should work towards ensuring stability in neighbouring countries, including Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. You have to make the best of what you have,” he said. “If your neighbouring country is burning, that should not make you happy,” he said, citing the refugee influx into India from Myanmar as an example.
