The neutral role played by China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in previous wars between India and Pakistan can no longer be taken for granted since the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has meant an investment of more than $50 billion and the “Indian Army must prepare for a two-front war” in the eventuality of hostilities breaking out between the two neighbours in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK).
Deliberating on the Army’s threat assessment in the wake of the CPEC, Lt Gen Deependra Singh Hooda, who retired on as the Northern Army commander November 30, 2016, told TOI that India’s stand on Balochisthan insurgency also has “to be carefully thought through as China can perceive this as a threat to their corridor, which feeds into the Gwadhar port. China can respond militarily to a perceived threat to their corridor in Balochisthan with a push back in Ladakh”.
Delivering an address to a gathering of distinguished academicians and army veterans at Panjab University’s ICSSR Hall on Friday as part of a TOI initiative to get top minds and experienced leaders thinking on a way forward on the vexed Jammu and Kashmir problem, Lt Gen Hooda said: “The CPEC is a new and major factor in our assessment of military threats on our norther n borders.” Given reports of the presence of Chinese military personnel in POJK and the inter-operability of Pakistan Army and PLA, Lt Gen Hooda said, “You have to be prepared for China. For India, the prospect of a two-front war is a real one. The question is: will China resort to armed hos tilties if a conflict breaks out between India and Pakistan? We are looking at it carefully and prepar ing.”
Lt Gen Hooda had also commanded the 16 Cor ps, head quartered at Nagrota, and his area of responsibil ity extend ed south of the Pir Panjal mountain range.
Commissioned into the 4th battalion, the 4th Gorkha Rifles, Lt Gen Hooda was also awarded the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal during his stint as a general officer. He was at the nerve centre of successful planning and execution of crossLOC raids by elements of the 4 and 9 PARA (Special Forces) on September 29, 2016, popularly known as the post-Uri “surgical strikes”.
The chiefs of India’s armed forces have in creasingly resorted to public declarations of threat assessment review and missives to their forces to pret pare for a “twofront war”.
Agreeing with former ambassador KC Singh -who stated that with the CPEC, an unpredictable Donald Trump, repositioning of Russia in South Asia, and Pakistan’s former Army chief Gen Raheel Shareef leading the alliance of Sunni armies funded by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states -Lt Gen Hooda declared that “Pakistan does not stand diplomatically isolated today”.
Last month, Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat had publicly said that to adopt a strategy of counter encirclement, In dia should look for new friends and allies to deal with neighbours along the western and northern borders.
Lt Gen Hooda, specially speaking to the youth in audience, said Kashmir was a problem they would have to confront, as they were he future of the nation. He cautioned against populous generalizations which were shaping the Kashmir policy these days.
Source:- TNN
The post If India attacked Pakistan, CPEC investment will force China to join the WAR appeared first on Indian Defence Update.
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