Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba sounds out warning: China making rapid progress, becoming more assertive
New Delhi: Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba on Wednesday warned of increasing assertiveness of China in the region, saying it has been making rapid progress, economically and militarily. The Chief of Naval Staff said there have been frequent instances of transgression by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) across the Line of Actual Control (LAC). This, as well as last year's Doklam crisis, is “an indication of increasing assertiveness of China”.
“Recent developments (with regard to China) have underscored the vulnerability of the Siliguri Corridor,” Admiral Lanba said.
The Siliguri Corridor, also known as the Chicken's Neck, is a narrow stretch of land that links the northeastern states with the rest of India.
The Navy Chief's remarks came even as a report claimed that China is upgrading the air defence of its Western Theatre Command, which looks after the security along the LAC, to "confront any threat from India".
The Chinese military has released photographs of a J-10 fighter jet - a lightweight multi-role fighter aircraft - along with J-11 -- a single-seat, twin-engine fighter jet -- flying over the high-altitude plateau in western China during the current Chinese New Year and Spring Festival holiday, state-run Global Times reported on Tuesday.
The jets are attached to an aviation brigade of the air force under the PLA Western Theatre Command, the website of the PLA said. China has also recently commissioned its indigenous stealth fighter, the J-20, which is first in the region.
The Western Theatre Command is mainly responsible for mountain warfare at the border area with India. The LAC stretches to 3,488-km including the high altitude Tibetan plateau. India and China have been trying to reset their ties after last year's 73-day standoff between the two sides at Doklam in Sikkim section of a boundary.
"Strengthening the 3.5-generation fighter jets or even stationing more advanced fighters in the Western Theatre Command has been urgent for the PLA," Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times, adding that such upgrades have been usually first conducted in south and east theatre commands.
Considering that India possesses 3rd-generation fighter jets, China's stationing of its 3.5-generation jets would be able to deal with any current threat from India, Song added.
Apparently referring to India's acquisition of Rafale fighter jets from France, Song said, "With India importing new jets, China will continue strengthening its fighter jets in the Western Theatre Command."
Since he took over power in 2013, President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has been pressing the PLA to step up live firing drills to win local wars.
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