In 1803, Napoleon said “China is a sleeping giant. Let her sleep, for when she wakes, she will shake the world”. He said it at the peak of his glory and at China’s nadir. It is now the 21st century, Napoleon is no more and the Dragon is not sleeping. India shares around 4000 kms with China and yet India does not know how to deal with China. A glaring example was evident when all the members of the SAARC, except Bhutan, pitched for observer status to China at the Dhaka SAARC Meet, and India had little choice. China had done their homework well with the neighbours. We expect Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to look towards India, but they prefer to rush further north and are eagerly embraced. Pakistan treats India as an equal and is determined to settle political scores. Bhutan and Maldives are quite happy playing no role.

The Chinese leadership follow the ancient war master Sun Tzu, who in his Art of War said “Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat”. Although in China’s geo-political screen, USA is the sole target, it considers India a potential stumbling block on its course. Sun Tsu adds, “To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting”.

One such Chinese tactic is the establishment of String-of-Pearls which is already accomplished. Each Pearl serves the Chinese military and economic interests. The Hainan Island Military facility has been upgraded recently along with the Woody Island airstrip in the Paracel archipelago. China has built a container shipping facility at Chittagong in Bangladesh besides assisting the military build-up of Bangladesh Army. A deep water port in Sittwe in Myanmar is complete and China has also built a deep water port in Gwadar in Pakistan which will serve its interest in the entire straits of Hormuz. China moved further deep by developing Hambantota Port, thereby consolidating its presence in the Indian Ocean, and provided military help to Sri Lanka to defeat the LTTE. China is the only country to have an exclusive economic zone in Sri Lanka. It has created a maritime reconnaissance and electronic intelligence station in Coco Island, which is just 18 km north of Andaman, and additionally controls the Myanmar ports of Akyab, Cheduba and Bassein. The honest admission of our naval chief about the Chinese blue navy power, and the air force chief’s statement that our strength is one third of the Chinese, is troubling.

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