India's emerging power makes Chinese Army worried: Pentagon
PTIThursday, March 26, 2009 14:17 IST Email

Washington: India's emergence as an economic, political and military power has left Chinese army worried, even as the two countries in the recent years have increased their economic and military cooperation, a report released by Pentagon said.

"The PLA (People's Liberation Army) remains concerned with persistent disputes along China's shared border with India and the strategic ramifications of India's rising economic, political, and military power," the Pentagon said in its Congressional mandated annual report on China's army.

The 78-page report devotes a small sub-section on India-China relations, along with those on Russia and Central Asian republics. "China has deepened its ties with India through increased trade, high-level dialogues, and an improved military-to-military relationship," the report said.

The two countries have agreed to boost their bilateral trade from USD 11.4 billion in 2007 to USD 40 billion in 2010. India and China have also held several rounds of dialogue over disputed territorial claims.

Sino-Indian defence ties were institutionalised in 2007 with the establishment of an Annual Defence Dialogue and by conducting three bilateral defence exercises since 2007, but the PLA remains worried about the rise of India as a regional and global power and its increasing military might, the report said.

"The PLA has replaced older liquid-fueled nuclear-capable CSS-3 IRBMs with more advanced solid-fueled CSS-5 MRBMs in Western China, and may possibly be developing contingency plans to move airborne troops into the region," the report said.

Elsewhere, it said, the border dispute remains a major cause of tension between the two countries.

"While China and India have improved bilateral relations, tensions remain along their shared 4,057 km border, most notably over Arunachal Pradesh," it said.