Speaking on the changing global environment and its impact on the Indian Army at a function organised by a leading defence think tank, General Kapoor said that while there is constructive engagement between the countries, India needs to be cautious about the impact of China’s military modernisation in Tibet.

“We need to take note of the likely implication of China’s military modernisation, improvement of infrastructure in the Tibet Autonomous Region and other related issues, which could impact our security in the long term,” the Army Chief told a gathering of strategic experts at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) in New Delhi.

In a lecture that was peppered with references to India’s “largest and most powerful neighbour”, General Kapoor listed budgetary considerations as one of the biggest future challenges for the Army in the 21st Century.

Pointing out that India’s defence spending had fallen below two per cent of the GDP for the first time “since the India-China War of 1962”, he said that India’s defence spending of just 1.98 per cent is much below the global average and a “righsizing” is required.

Doing a reality check on the growing number of Chinese transgressions along the border, he said while boundary issues are being resolved by special representatives, they would remain high on India’s threat perception. “The existing reality of border issues will continue to remain an important factor in our consideration.”

His comments come in the wake of reports about a Chinese troop buildup in Tibet with some estimates pointing out that close to 2.50 lakh soldiers are within “striking distance” of India along the border. Reports also say that intelligence agencies have received “shocking” satellite images of Chinese troop buildup in the region. Analysts have also commented on the rapid deployment of troops in Tibet by China after riots broke out in the region this March, largely due to the new rail link and improved highways.