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3. Military Maritime Power: China and India
- ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute
- Chapter
- Additional Information
65 3 MILITARY MARITIME POWER: CHINA AND INDIA There is a strong belief among Asian nations that it was the neglect of ocean frontier security that led to their domination by colonial powers duringthe15thtothe19thcenturies.ForChina,itspreoccupationwith internalwarsledtotheneglectofthelittoralsthatcametobedominated bytheimperialistpowersandwasthespringboardtothedominationof thehinterland.1 Similarly,forIndia,thelittoraldominancebytheEuropean powers,firstbythePortugueseandthenbytheBritishandFrenchresulted intheirascendancyoftheIndianheartland.2 Significantly,forbothChina andIndiathecolonial-imperialsupremacycamefromthesea,tothelittorals andintotheheartland.TheforemoststrategicobjectiveofChinaandIndia thereforeistobuildautonomousmaritimemilitarycapabilitytopreclude intrusivedominanceofthelittoralsbyanyexternalpower. Soonafterindependence,ChinaandIndiawereengagedinwarsacross theirlandfrontiersandmilitarydevelopmentswereshapedbythestrong continentalmindsetamongtherulingelite.Itwasinthiscontextthatthe trajectoryofthemilitarystructuresandorganizationofthetwopowerswas largelybuiltaroundthearmy.Naturallythearmywasthevanguardofthe national security structure and entrusted the important role of guarding nationalfrontiersandprovidingexternalsecurity.Operationally,thenavy andtheairforceofthetwocountriesweresubsumedwithintheprimary roleofthearmyandwereadjuncttothelandforces.IntheChinesecontext, itsnavywasaddressedasPeople’sLiberationArmyNavy,i.e.PLANavyand inIndiaitcametobetermedas“Cinderella”service.3 Intermsofstrategic 03AsianTime.indd65 12/30/1010:41:25AM 66 Asian Maritime Power in the 21st Century priorities in decision-making, resource allocation and the formulation of securitystrategy,thearmydominatedthenationalsecuritystructure. However,weaknessatseasooncametohauntthetwoAsianpowers; forChinatheFirstandSecondTaiwanStraitCrisesof1954–55and1958 witnessed U.S. intervention in support of its allyTaiwan.4 Significantly, bothcriseswitnessedU.S.aircraftcarriertaskforcedeployedinthearea andprecludedanyattemptbythePLAtoundertakeamphibiouslanding on Quemoy. For India, the dispatch of a naval flotilla by Indonesia to deterIndiaagainstPakistanandathreatofopeningofanotherwarfront intheAndamanandNicobarIslandsduringthe1965India-Pakistanwar5 and the U.S. decision to dispatchTask Force 74 led by USS Enterprise intheculminatingstagesofthe1971India-Pakistanwar6 werethestark remindersofthedangersofexternalinterventionfromthesea,reminiscent ofthecolonialpast.Thesuccessivedominanceofthelittoralsbyasuperior navalpowerandrecurringthreatsofexternalinterventionfromtheseahave beentheprimarycausalfactorsresultingintherediscoveryoftheseminal importanceofthenaviesthatistodayactingasacatalystforChinaand Indiatomodernizetheirnavalpower. Atanotherlevel,thetwonavieshavesetstrategicvisionsthatenvisage buildingpowerprojectioncapabilitiesforregionalinfluence.Thecurrent force structure and future acquisitions indicate that the two navies are buildingplatformscapableoflong-rangesustainedoperationssupportedby ahostofmannedandunmannedsurveillancecapabilities.Also,thethreat ofanuclearinterventionimpactsonChineseandIndianstrategicthinking andnecessitatesanappropriateresponsefromthesea. Thenaviesofthetwostatesalsogainsaliencedrivenbytheimperatives ofglobalizationandeconomicgrowth.Thereisaheavyconcentrationof economichubsinthecoastalregion,whicharetheenginesofeconomic development.Severalmaritimeinfrastructureprojectshavemushroomedin thecoastalareastosupportburgeoningtrade,whichcontributesenormously tonationaleconomicgrowth.ThusthenavalpowerofChinaandIndia isalsoderivedfromthestrategicnecessityofglobalizationandeconomic developmentthatisinevitablypredicatedonmaritimepower. The operational concepts of the PLA Navy and the Indian Navy envision extended strategic depth for projecting power from the littorals into the seas.These pivot on a formidable force structure built around highlymanoeuvrableplatformsdesignedtoconductover-the-horizontactical operations.Besides,thenavaldoctrinesareinthethroesoftransformation andenvisageinformation-basedoperationswithanabilitytotransittheseaspace -shore(S3)continuum...