Pentagon warns of China troops build-up on India border

Washington: China has increased defence capabilities and deployed more troops along the Indian border, the Pentagon has said, as it warned of increasing Chinese military presence including bases in various parts of the world, particularly Pakistan.

In its annual 2016 report to the US Congress on 'Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China', Pentagon said that China has increased its presence in border areas close to India.

"We have noticed an increase in capability and force posture by the Chinese military in areas close to the border with India," Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for East Asia Abraham M Denmark said.

However, Denmark said it is difficult to conclude on the real intention behind this.

"It is difficult to say how much of this is driven by internal considerations to maintain internal stability, and how much of it is an external consideration," he said in response to a question on China upgrading its military command in Tibet.

Referring to US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter's recent trip to India, Denmark said he had a very positive and productive visit.

"We're going to continue to enhance our bilateral engagement with India, not in the China context, but because India is an increasingly important player by themselves. And we are going to engage India because of its value," he said.

The Defence Department also warned of China's increasing military presence including bases in various parts of the world, in particular Pakistan - with which it has a "longstanding friendly relationship and similar strategic interests".

China's expanding international economic interests are increasing demands for the PLA Navy (PLAN) to operate in more distant seas to protect Chinese citizens, investments, and critical sea lines of communication, it said.

"China most likely will seek to establish additional naval logistics hubs in countries with which it has a longstanding friendly relationship and similar strategic interests, such as Pakistan, and a precedent for hosting foreign militaries," the report said.

The Pentagon in its report expressed its concerns about Chinese military buildup near the Indian border.

"Tensions remain along disputed portions of the Sino- Indian border, where both sides patrol with armed forces. After a five-day military standoff in September 2015 at Burtse in Northern Ladakh, China and India held a senior-level flag-officer meeting, agreed to maintain peace, and retreated to positions mutually acceptable to both sides," it said.

The Pentagon said tensions remain with India along their shared 4,057-km border over Arunachal Pradesh (which China asserts is part of Tibet and, therefore, of China), and over the Askai Chin region at the western end of the Tibetan Plateau, despite increases in China-India political and economic relations.

US, Russia, India driving China's nuclear modernisation: Pentagon

The defence capabilities possessed by the US, Russia and India are among the main factors driving China to modernise its nuclear force and bolster its strategic strike capabilities, the Pentagon has said.

In a report to Congress detailing China's nuclear power, Pentagon yesterday said the country was deploying new command, control and communications capabilities to its nuclear forces to improve control of multiple units in the field.

China, it said, insists that the new generation of mobile missiles, with warheads consisting of multiple independently targeted re-entry vehicles (MIRVs) and penetration aids, are intended to ensure the viability of its strategic deterrent in the face of continued advances in the US and, to a lesser extent, Russian strategic ISR (Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance), precision strike, and missile defence capabilities.

"Similarly, India's nuclear force is additional driver behind China's nuclear force modernisation," the Pentagon said in its report.

Through the use of improved communication links, ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) units now have better access to battlefield information and uninterrupted communications connecting all command echelons, the report said.

According to the Pentagon, China is working on a range of technologies to attempt to counter the US and other countries' ballistic missile defence systems, including manoeuvrable re-entry vehicles (MaRVs), MIRVs, decoys, chaff, jamming, and thermal shielding.

China has acknowledged that it tested a hypersonic glide vehicle in 2014. The country's official media also cited numerous PLASAF (Peoples Liberation Army Second Artillery Force) training exercises featuring manoeuvre, camouflage, and launch operations under simulated combat conditions, which are intended to increase survivability, it said.

Together with the increased mobility and survivability of the new generation of missiles, these technologies and training enhancements strengthen China's nuclear force and bolster its strategic strike capabilities.

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