Pakistan is China's low hedge against India; Should've listened to Sardar Patel.

[Singh]

Pak is China's low hedge against India
​

It was a very perturbed Sardar Patel who wrote to Jawaharlal Nehru on November 7, 1950, pointing out that by our silence at the UN we had accepted Chinese suzerainty over Tibet.


In a forceful letter, the Sardar, not a man to mince words, warned that "The Chinese Government has tried to delude us by professions of peaceful intention" but in fact "it is not a friend speaking in that language, but a potential enemy."


He then detailed ten steps that needed to be considered to strengthen our internal border security and defences, especially in the north-east. The tragedy is that this letter was apparently never discussed. Till 1950, India had borders with Tibet not with China and by accepting China's suzerainty we became direct neighbours. Also, this concession in effect gave China a border with Bhutan, Nepal, India and Pak-Occupied- Kashmir. China now had the potential to be a player in South Asia.


Forging selfish ties: China is using Pakistan as a stepping stone for
regional dominance and not as an end in itself

Mao's China was turbulent. The Korean War was followed by the disastrous experiments of the Great Leap Forward and the Great Proletariat Cultural Revolution. The revolt in Tibet in March 1959 leading to the Dalai Lama's flight to India added to China's paranoia. The Chinese thought it necessary to warn India through its Ambassador Pan Tzu-li in a letter to Prime Minister Nehru in May 1959, saying that China would make common cause with Pakistan. This would force India to face diplomatic and military pressure on two fronts. Therein lay the beginning of an all-weather affair that is deeper than the oceans and higher than the mountains.


1962 and 1965 were landmark years when India was involved in conflicts with both her neighbours. This provided an opportunity for Pakistan to get closer to China and the two have remained locked in a warm usually unquestioned embrace. For China, becoming Pakistan's largest arms supplier to match Indian acquisitions " conventional, delivery systems and nuclear weaponry was a convenient hedge against India, and Pakistan thus strengthened by American indulgence and Chinese connivance felt emboldened to hone its assistance to terrorists as a low cost, highly effective foreign policy option.


Revived by Deng Xiaoping's four modernisations, China has used Pakistan's hostility towards India as a bridge for accessing West Asia not just as a counter to the US. It seeks geostrategic space and the rich mineral deposits of oil and gas, copper, gold, zinc, lead, iron-ore and aluminium in these countries including Afghanistan and Central Asia. There have been reports of a Saudi-Pakistan-China tie up on nuclear issues as well.


A Chinese official once told US officials that Pakistan was China's Israel. Pakistanis see China as an assured guarantor against India. The Deep State of Pakistan " run by its military-jihadi combine, has to realise that the hard state of China is using Pakistan as a stepping stone for regional dominance and not as an end in itself.


Chinese ambitions extend beyond using Pakistan as a low cost secondary deterrent to counter India. Ayesha Siddiqa, one of Pakistan's better known analysts, makes a very valid observation when she says that China is an 'empire by stealth' which is "growing steadily without necessarily taking on the socio-political or economic liabilities of its client states." China will invest only in the extractive industries of Pakistan not in the country's development.


Gwadar on the Makran coast has significance and importance for China only if it has unimpeded access through Gilgit and Baltistan. There has been increased Chinese presence and activity in this region. The additional manpower is ostensibly meant for the several infrastructure projects in Gilgit-Baltistan.


Over time, as India has progressed, China's stance has hardened. It has played up issues " like paper visas to residents of J&K or not granting visa to the Northern Army Commander and continued intrusions into Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh. It has continued with its concerted attempts to keep both Myanmar and Pakistan under its influence to cover both Indian flanks.


Had India heeded Sardar Patel's advice in 1950 we would not perhaps been in this state of feeling surrounded by China in our backyard and the prospect today that Pakistan could become China's Somalia instead of its Israel is no consolation to India.

VIKRAM SOOD'S PERSPECTIVES...: Pak is China's low hedge against India

 

[ice berg]

And what kind new insights does this article offer us?
"Had India heeded Sardar Patel's advice in 1950...."

You cant change the history, wake up and move on.
China using Pakistan as hedge against India is a well known fact.
Same goes for how US using Japan and India as a headge against China.

 

[rock127]

Nehru first allowed Kashmir Issue and then 1962........ we need Sardars like Patel but all we have today is MMS.

 

[hit&run]

Sardar Patel was greatest strategist and visionary India ever had. If it wasn't because of him, Nehru et al could have kept India disintegrated as it was like pre Independence. His admirers are even in Pakistan too (I watched); who with their obvious hesitation seems awfully impressed for what he thought of, crafted and drafted for India and its future generations to come. If he could have then been PM of India, many India's Achilles heals couldn't have been the cases today.

 

[Iamanidiot]

Pakistan is more of a US hedge against India rather tha China .Who was the one who aided Pakistan more I find it as China

 

[Param]

Sardar Patel was greatest strategist and visionary India ever had. If it wasn't because of him, Nehru et al could have kept India disintegrated as it was like pre Independence. His admirers are even in Pakistan too (I watched); who with their obvious hesitation seems awfully impressed for what he thought of, crafted and drafted for India and its future generations to come. If he could have then been PM of India, many India's Achilles heals couldn't have been the cases today.

Nehru was better choice.
There were more important things that India needed, more important than empire building.

 

[Iamanidiot]

Nehru was better choice.
There were more important things that India needed, more important than empire building.

Yes,Sustaining the democratic ethos was more important at that time

 

[hit&run]

Pakistan is more notorious because of China than because of USA. USA made Pakistan most sectioned state at times.

Kargil war to Mumbai attack all are because of nuclear technology they illegally got form backstabber China. Pakistani couldn't even in their dream have had dared to cross LOC like they did in 1999 otherwise.

 

[Iamanidiot]

Pakistan is more notorious because of China than because of USA. USA made Pakistan most sectioned state at times.

Kargil war to Mumbai attack all are because of nuclear technology they illegally got form backstabber China. Pakistani couldn't even in their dream have had dared to cross LOC like they did in 1999 otherwise.

The US is more the culprit in 71,during Kargil and even after 26/11.The US sustains Pakistan not China

 

[hit&run]

Nehru was better choice.
There were more important things that India needed, more important than empire building.

Anyone with half a brain could have done what good then [PRIME MINISTER] J.L. Nehru did.

Wrongs he did are hunting us till today and have exposed many next generation to come to existential threats.

 

[Param]

Anyone with half a brain could have done what good then [PRIME MINISTER] J.L. Nehru did.

Wrongs he did are hunting us till today and have exposed many next generation to come to existential threats.

I would prefer a liberal democratic leader any day to a hardliner.

Forget about brain size, it needed a big heart and broad mind to do what good he did.

The difference between your opinion and mine is that our priorities are different. I am more concerned about internal stuff. And internal issues are the biggest danger to this country not external threats.

 

[hit&run]

The US is more the culprit in 71,during Kargil and even after 26/11.The US sustains Pakistan not China

End of Pakistan as a state is too much of asking. If it wasn't USA then Pakistan could have sustained it self by different means and have kept its animosity with us as it is.

Commenting in a defence forum and ignoring what our own army is preparing for i.e. two front war should ring bells on discussion like above. The cold war decided who sided with whom during 1971, and its bygone. Furthermore Pakistan bought every thing with its hard earned money not aid in that war. India could have done the same, but it was all about taking sides.

Then Pakistan served USA like a wench against USSR thus he got all the better toys he could ever afford, again by paying them of.

An enemy neighbour is more dangerous than a distant supporter of his, here we are talking about two enemy neighbours. Any concessions given to both were ultra stupid which literally translated into lost bargain chips in case of any future hostility.

USA-PAK relationship was quite open but what happened between Pakistan and rouge state China was dangerously discreet and lacking prior warnings. Chinese lied to rest of the world on International forums at many occasion that they are not proliferating nuclear technology to Pakistan. They are not signatory to MTCR treaty and god knows how many BM's and cruise missiles are been directly assembled by China to Pakistan's inventory.

 

[sesha_maruthi27]

And what kind new insights does this article offer us?
"Had India heeded Sardar Patel's advice in 1950...."

You cant change the history, wake up and move on.
China using Pakistan as hedge against India is a well known fact.
Same goes for how US using Japan and India as a headge against China.

Hey China is using pakistan for the last 4 decades and U.S. not using INDIA and we don't need anyone to defend ourselves. The U.S. is luring INDIA to do so....

 

[hit&run]

I would prefer a liberal democratic leader any day to a hardliner.

Forget about brain size, it needed a big heart and broad mind to do what good he did.

The difference between your opinion and mine is that our priorities are different. I am more concerned about internal stuff. And internal issues are the biggest danger to this country not external threats.

I would appreciated if you can give qualification to your own context. Being a PM he was suppose to do all the good he did with so called big heart; given resources at his disposal. But when he was tested by unfavourable winds, he simply chickened out. On the other hand Sardar Patel (in documents) warned him on many occasions like revealed above and took many brave decision even without his consents. I have read many good think tanks talking about the timing of freedom of Goa that it could have been Portuguese colony even today as they were just going to join NATO when India took the state back from them.

As it is my personal opinion I would say I have a simple philosophy, I be good when others are good, I be big hearted if others have that too. Nehru's big heart was good for over romantic, Idol worshipper, poor Indians but outer world's mean bastards took it as advantageous against us.

 

[Param]

I would appreciated if you can give qualification to your own context. Being a PM he was suppose to do all the good he did with so called big heart; given resources at his disposal. But when he was tested by unfavourable winds, he simply chickened out. On the other hand Sardar Patel (in documents) warned him on many occasions like revealed above and took many brave decision even without his consents. I have read many good think tanks talking about the timing of freedom of Goa that it could have been Portuguese colony even today as they were just going join NATO when India took the state back from them.

As it is my personal opinion I would say I have a simple philosophy, I be good when others are good, I be big hearted if others have that too. Nehru's big heart was good for over romantic, Idol worshipper, poor Indians but outer world's mean bastards took it as advantageous against us.

India is not just about territorial limit. Yes, Patel did good job in unifying India. Maybe he might also have kept Chinese away from the neighborhood.
But like I said India in its early years needed much more, particularly on the internal front.
I cherish Democracy. Democracy and liberty to me are more important to me than our control over PoK or Aksai Chin.

 

[Bhadra]

Pakistan is more of a US hedge against India rather tha China .Who was the one who aided Pakistan more I find it as China

Pakistan is a third class mercenary state and any ones hedge against India, Iran and Afghanistan who can pay its elites and military.
Traditionally, they have always operated as mercenaries during all attacks on Northern India. After all Babur or Ghaury did not start with such vast Army to capture Delhi. They first captured areas which are in Pakistan today (and Indian Northern areas),recruited the mercenaries, converted them, used the resources of the land and kept attacking Northern India to plunder it before finally deciding to settle down.

So how can Pakistan abandon their traditional traits. If Nehru did not understand this, the British, Chinese and the American did quite well.