Australia startled by unprecedented Chinese provocation

[Pooky 3,786]

One question concerns the other big player with an interest in the region ... India.

They have a blue water navy, which, rather like the Chinese, is looking to commission a traditional aircraft carrier. The Chinese are already on their list of unfriendly nations, with the land border disputes to the North. India is also in the process of bulking up its military considerably, rather like the Chinese. The question is whether India has too many domestic and local issues weighing on its agenda to engage in this kind of strategic alliance?

[GandD 5,966]

And Booyah said this would never happen and that the US was foolish for it's military spending. When China wants those Australian mineral resources they'll just take them.

Nation against nation wars are soooooo 1940's.

[mota bhai 2,675]

And Booyah said this would never happen and that the US was foolish for it's military spending. When China wants those Australian mineral resources they'll just take them.

Booyah was a nice enough bloke but not exactly the sharpest knife in the kitchen.

[mota bhai 2,675]

One question concerns the other big player with an interest in the region ... India.

They have a blue water navy, which, rather like the Chinese, is looking to commission a traditional aircraft carrier. The Chinese are already on their list of unfriendly nations, with the land border disputes to the North. India is also in the process of bulking up its military considerably, rather like the Chinese. The question is whether India has too many domestic and local issues weighing on its agenda to engage in this kind of strategic alliance?

India is always one spark away from imploding. India's entire national effort goes to ensuring that doesn't happen.

Maybe in another hundred years. Bollywood is working on it, they've made a lot of good progress already in creating a nation but the job isn't done yet.

Edited February 15, 2014 by mota bhai

[mota bhai 2,675]

Oh and the truly existential threat India faces is the Maoist insurgency. India can live without arunachal and without the terai and without ladakh but the Maoists threaten the heartland. The Chinese fund and arm the Maoists.

[luckytxn 2,264]

India has Pakistan to worry about. The south China sea is just a shipping lane to them.

One question concerns the other big player with an interest in the region ... India.

They have a blue water navy, which, rather like the Chinese, is looking to commission a traditional aircraft carrier. The Chinese are already on their list of unfriendly nations, with the land border disputes to the North. India is also in the process of bulking up its military considerably, rather like the Chinese. The question is whether India has too many domestic and local issues weighing on its agenda to engage in this kind of strategic alliance?

[mota bhai 2,675]

The beef with Pakistan is mostly about chest thumping punjabi pride. Pakistan taking the valley and parts of the kutchi swampland doesn't pose an existential threat either.

[Pooky 3,786]

India has Pakistan to worry about. The south China sea is just a shipping lane to them.

This wasn't the South China Sea, this was the Sunday Strait and the Indian Ocean. We're not talking China's backyard here, we're talking Chinese power projection.

Pakistan is an immediate concern, but that has been going on for over 60 years, and the world has become significantly less provincial since then. India, if it wishes to retain its economic status, may have to look beyond its immediate borders and become more of a strategic partner in the region.

Oh and the truly existential threat India faces is the Maoist insurgency. India can live without arunachal and without the terai and without ladakh but the Maoists threaten the heartland. The Chinese fund and arm the Maoists.

Wouldn't it then make sense for India to find a strategic partner or two in the region?

[mota bhai 2,675]

Wouldn't it then make sense for India to find a strategic partner or two in the region?

The Diplomat has written about that a lot lately. Check it out.

I don't see India as the kind of country that would be capable of anything like that. The form of government is better suited to being reactive.

[Moman 1]

What's so astonishing ? China is kicking our azzes in mfg. and education. We have a ##### for a president who has said if things go bad he will stick with his cult.

Putin has made him look like an idiot ( not hard to d) and his VP is the 1st openly Re-tarded person in his position serveing as insurance for Obama.

We are in deep dooo doo