Tensions have flared between both China and India militaries along
their disputed 2,175 mile-long border, with both sides alleging more
frequent troop incursions in recent weeks. China is upset when the
Indian prime minister recently visit the disputed region. China
considers an Indian-occupied piece of it’s own Tibetan Autonomous
Region, has added flames to the fire.
China of course already deeply resents the fact that the top Tibetan
leader, and several hundred thousand exiled Tibetans, are allowed to
reside in India.
India’s Maoist rebels are now present in 20 states and have evolved
into a potent and lethal insurgency. In the last four years, the
Maoists have killed more than 900 Indian security officers. Indian
leaders are now preparing to deploy nearly 70,000 paramilitary officers
to hunt down the guerrillas.The Maoists, however, do not want to secede
or be absorbed. Their goal is to topple the system.
India’s rapid economic growth has made it an emerging global power but
also deepened stark inequalities in society. Maoists accuse the
government of trying to push tribal groups off their land to gain
access to raw materials and have sabotaged roads, bridges and even an
energy pipeline.
India is preparing the military for possible war with China and
Pakistan. India and Russia have agreed two military pacts, including a
10-year deal on weapons, aircraft, and maintenance contracts
potentially worth at least $5 billion, Indian defense officials said.
India plans to spend $30 billion over the next five years to buy modern
weapons systems and attack planes.
The agreement will certainly help as Russia needs a market and India
needs a strategic reassurance to sort out relations that were going
sour. India also wants to use the renewed focus on Russia as a
counterweight to China, while a strong presence in South Asia could
help Moscow keep an eye on China. India fears China is trying to
encircle it as they jostle for resources and global influence.
China is a greater anxiety for Russia in the long run and politically
it is desirable for India to strengthen relations with Russia
China has boosted military spending by more than 10 percent annually
for almost two decades, and the official figure of $71 billion this
year is thought by many analysts to represent only a portion of total
defense spending. China announced plans to boost military spending by
14.9 percent this year, maintaining a longtime trend of annual
double-digit percentage increases that have stirred concern in
Washington and among Beijing's neighbors. SOURCE…………