China is going to be India's main competitor across multiple domains in the long term, former Army chief General Manoj Naravane opined. While refraining from using the term "enemy", he stressed the need for strong military deterrence while resolving long-standing differences with Beijing through dialogue. He was speaking on Thursday at the launch of his new book 'The Curious and the Classified: Unearthing Military Myths and Mysteries'.
Speaking about security challenges New Delhi faces from its neighbours, Naravane noted Pakistan and China belonged to different categories, though India had fought wars and got unsettled borders with both.
India's attention towards Pakistan was driven largely by the continuing threat of terrorism, the veteran added. "Pakistan and China are a totally different ballgame. We have fought wars with both of them. We have unsettled borders. So they will always remain on our radar as a threat, as a challenge," he was quoted as saying by PTI.
However, he elaborated why Islamabad and Beijing cannot be treated the same way. "We have fought major wars with Pakistan, and because of their continued support to terrorism, our attention is towards our western borders. But I think we are very clear that in the long term and in the years to come, China is going to be our main competitor. And I purposely use the word competitor and not enemy," Naravane said.
"They [China] are going to be our main competitor in all fields. Political, economic, trade, and of course military also. And wherever there is competition, there is always a little bit of conflict," he insisted.
"It is up to us to try to resolve those conflicts, those differences, through the mechanisms of talks, dialogues. And taking recourse to the use of force should always be the last priority," the former Army chief maintained.
At the same time, he said India must maintain credible military preparedness to deter any potential misadventure.
"There comes a moment when you realise that this is not going to happen. And therefore, you have to have a strong deterrence," Naravane said, adding that the Indian armed forces must remain prepared at all times.
"That is why the armed forces have to be ready at all times. You have to have a strong deterrence to stop anybody from taking recourse to the use of force or any misadventure," Naravane, who was the Army chief from December 31, 2019 to April 30, 2022, said.
Stressing the importance of maintaining peace, he called for ensuring India's armed forces had sufficient deterrence capability. "If you want peace, prepare for war," Naravane added.
