Noted strategist Mr Brahma Chellany writes “ If there is one thing at which China’s leaders truly excel, it is the use of economic tools to advance their country’s geostrategic interests.
Through its $1 trillion “one belt, one road” initiative, China is supporting infrastructure projects in strategically located developing countries, often by extending huge loans to their governments. As a result, countries are becoming ensnared in a debt trap that leaves them vulnerable to China’s influence.
Be it Srilanka or Pakistan or Mynmmar or Bangladesh or Nepal, China is replicating the same strategy ; MAKE THESE NATIONS ECONOMICALLY SO DEPENDENT ON CHINESE DOLES THAT THEY GET ENTANGLED INTO A DEBT TRAP.
He further says that ; Several of the projects that have been completed are now bleeding money. For example, Sri Lanka’s Mattala Rajapaksa International Airport, which opened in 2013 near Hambantota, has been dubbed the world’s emptiest. Likewise, Hambantota’s Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port remains largely idle, as does the multibilliondollar Gwadar port in Pakistan.
For China, however, these projects are operating exactly as needed: Chinese attack submarines have twice docked at Sri Lankan ports, and two Chinese warships were recently pressed into service for Gwadar port security.
Ostensibly, all those who were criticising PM’s offensive pursuance of Foreign policy would say TO PM MODI NE KYA KAR LIYA.
They need to realise –
One, what China has been able to do was not a One day or an Years job. It took them years to reach to this level. And if we do not resort to what Modiji is doing All these nations one day would be inimical to our interests. The Terrorists and Jehadis would pour in from all directions.
TWO, There is a need to project India’s power through an integrated approach, which makes use of the military, economic, cultural, social, political & technology levers. This is what Modiji tries to do when he interacts with Indian diaspora, Industry CEOs, because that would help India to use this power as a lever to get India its deserved place in the comity of Nations.
Three, India’s many problems be it economic or related to terrorism have an external dimension.
Four, Make Indian armed forces so technologically superior that it becomes difficult for Pak and other inimical powers to catch up and if they do so they do it at their own economic peril and if China wishes to help them by providing sophisticated weaponery then that also becomes ECONOMICALLY UNVIABLE. However, all this is possible when India emerges as an ECONOMIC POWER ENGINE.
All those scholars who claim that India has never projected itself as a Military power and rather used its soft power to extend its influence. I would say that ; only an economically developed and militarily powerful country can sell its culture, a weak nation can not. (The Clash of Civilisations By Samuel Huntington).
Asoka, the Great sold Buddhism to the World when he became the Emperor after the Battle of Kalinga and the Cholas could spread Indian culture to South East Asian nations because they were powerful Kings, and had strong navy.
– Col Neerav Bhatnagar
