The breakneck speed at which China has been moving to build up its naval might is causing concern in the international community, particularly in Japan, the United States—and here in India.
Recent decisions by China’s People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) have left China-watchers wondering where the Chinese juggernaut will stop. The latest decision to garner attention has been the apparent decision by the Central Military Commission—China’s highest military planning body—to give the green light to the building of two new nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.
One aircraft carrier—the Kuznetsov class Varyag—is already being refitted after being taken off Russian hands. All three aircraft carriers will be available to China by 2017 and will be responsible for patrolling the South China Sea, Western Pacific and Indian Ocean, thus signaling to the world that China has indeed truly become a superpower.
So what is India doing to counter the growing Chinese naval might? The Chinese naval buildup is a matter of deep concern for Indian security managers. However, New Delhi is busy developing an effective counter. Two aircraft carriers—the INS Vikramaditya (Admiral Gorshkov of Russia) and INS Vikrant—are under construction. In addition, the Indian government in March 2009 approved Project 15B under which next-generation warships are in various stages of construction. Meanwhile, at least three Kolkata class destroyers are under construction under Project 15A.
But there’s more. The Indian Navy has also launched several new projects to develop a beefed up fleet of stealth frigates. The lead vessels will be the Shivalik class of frigates—India’s first such stealth vessels. The Sahyadri and Satpura are also in advanced stages of construction, meaning the Indian government is well on its way to achieving its goal of maintaining a force of more than 140 warships.
Meanwhile, construction work on at least four nuclear submarines is in full swing, while the indigenous Arihant nuclear-powered submarine has already been launched (India plans to have at least 30 submarines by 2030 (although this target may be tough to achieve with the submarine fleet expected to shrink to 16 by 2012 with the decommissioning of two Foxtrot submarines).
Clearly, China has set off a naval race in the region. Japan and the United States, which are set to lag far behind in the Asia-Pacific, need to stand by India if the international community’s unfettered access to the South China Sea, Western Pacific and Indian Ocean is to be maintained.
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Ivan
Thenk you…..
Chris
India + Japan + USA + Vietnam + South Korea + Indonesia + Philippines = Neutralize Asian bully Treaty Organization NATO
Nathan
I think India needs to feed its poor first before spending for war! India also wants to put a man on the moon by 2020 however 665 million Indians are forced to defecate in the open producing 100 000 tonnes of fecal matter. India are just a pathetic lot! India is a sham democracy and a failed state!
AWAC 43
Hey u wanna talk about poverty, reducing by 22% every year, economy, said to be in top three by 2020,second largest labour force, second largest armed force with fastest tactical and strategic missiles(brahmas,shaurya mach7.5-8.0 at low altitudes) long range missiles(11,000-18,000 agni 6),etc
THANUJ
India should be in a position to defend herself. What is the point if someone occupies india when india is trying to just feed the poor, probably occupying force may destroy people. Feeding poor is not answer, does india has enough resources to tackle growing population (employment->industry production->exports/local consumption). India should plan how to reduce population growth and conserve resources for better utilization.
Go Leez
Another elitist blog columnist who probably drinks tea with arms dealers, politicians and manufacturers. Stop this madness and focus on what is needed to bring people out of poverty. India does not need to be a super power in arms – instead, let’s focus and become a super power of the minds.
We do not need slavish adherence to imperialism and the concept of military preparedness.
Tian
India already was in the process of building aircraft carriers, even before China announcements. It makes sense for India to beef up its fleet to assert more control over its immediate neighborhood.
However to say this build up is triggered by the Chinese is, frankly, misleading.
But good to see India exporting propagandists to The Diplomat.
Proud Indian
great going……..we should add more super carrier and f-35C in our naval fleet..so chaina ….wouldn’t dare to enter our Indian ocean
rajessh
I think India too should build nuclear aircraft carrier and subs to maintain the true owner of Indian ocean, for your information Indians are not poor but they tend to not to show off, that’s wisdom with grace
Prof. James Refalo
1. If you need another carrier, you may want to talk with the British. They are debating cancellation of one of their new carriers. I’m sure with the additional costs of cancellation, they would be happy to have another friendly nation take possession of it. It should be available in by 2016.
2. India may want to consider offering it new Bramos missile for sale to Taiwan. With 2000 missiles currently pointed at it from the mainland, I suspect Taiwan would be interested in additional retaliatory capability. This would serve Indian and US objectives.
Steve
Nathan, your mom called and she wants you to take your medication…please increase the dosage because you are obviously making a fool of yourself in a public forum….
Prithvi
to Nathan
same applies to China as well…
Just Some Guy
@Nathan
I hope that you’re joking. You’ve added nothing to this comments section by making ridiculous comments like that that.
First of all: It’s obviously one-sided to point out that India has poverty problems when China does too (actually, every country has poverty problems).
Secondly: India is no Sham Democracy; it’s a little bit screwed up, but any democracy (particularly of that size) is bound to have growth pains.
I’m not anti-chinese, but it’s clear that the Chinese government have aspirations to dominate all Asian Seas; India’s naval military expansion will provide some much needed balance in these parts of the world
Nikhil
Dear Nathan and Ivan
For that matter, millions of African Americans & Hispanics and a sizable number of White population live in drug-stricken, recession-hit poverty in the US, does that stop US from spending nearly a trillion dollars a year in defense and wars? US has a budget deficit of $1.4 trillion every year and its India and China who’re bailing you out, so look closer in your backyard before you talk about India spending a lot of money on defence.
As a matter of fact, Indian spending on military as a percentage of GDP is less than 2%, as opposed to 4.5% of US and some 4% of China- which already has the worlds biggest GDP.
Nikhil
Correction: I meant US has the biggest GDP.
harry
seriously do the author now unbiased writing?? typical hindu nationalist fanatics tone right here.
Olly
ROFL at the Western jealous types! Why don’t you “developed” citizens of the world first feed your people properly, provide housing for all your citizens and then come to India and tell us what we should do. The audacity for people like “Nathan” and “harry” to preach here is outrageous considering that their countries have so many poor people who defecate on themselves and live in ditches, high on drugs, alcohol or some other problem. How Indians defecate is none of your concern, they are not defecating in your homes! Why don’t you people help your own people first before instructing others on how to live and what to do? We don’t even need one cent of foreign aid, keep your aid and shove your “opinions” where the sun don’t shine!
As for objectivity, the author here has only stated facts, why don’t you people check your ego’s at the door and read it with an open mind. The reality is that you Westerners are having difficulty dealing with your own irrelevance. Get used to it.
footloose
I agree that the article presents less facts and its more like a patriotic essay…
@Nathan: cm’on tiger!…what makes you call India a fail state…don’t know what part of the world you hail from but had we been a failed state, so many multi nationals from across the globe would have not been betting on a prosperous India of future…these are details which may not end and I won’t waste my time arguing with you, but your remarks are deliberately demeaning in nature and kinda showcase a foolhardy prejudice or like a planned defamation.
Victor
The Chinese cannot be deterred by just 7 new destroyers and 10 stealth frigates and may be 12 conventional subs and 12 nuclear subs. The conventional aspects of the military need to grow manifold. Especially the Indian Navy must have at least 6 cruisers that can shoot down the DF-21D Chinese Anti-ship ballistic missile. A similar capability should be deployed in the form of Shaurya-I/II anti-ship ballistic missile to take out he Chinese Aircraft carriers along with the capability of detection. Above these there need to be atleast 20 modern heavily armed stealth destroyers, 20 stealth frigates and 20 stealth corvettes. 30 modern conventional subs, 6 large SSBN’s 8-10 heavily armed modern SSN’s along with a large fleet of supporting ships including tankers. Modern missiles like Brahmos-II, ERSAM, PDV’s and their improved versions. A strong Naval arm with large number of fighters that serve from modern Aircraft carriers and assault ships. Modern Satellites force and a cyberwarfare wing. Along with that improve the training to another level from the present best. Along this a strong political will to coarse the communists from committing any crime even in their backyard.
vishnu
Through out the history India has remained a peaceful country. She has never attacked any other country in the past. Early 90’s she was very well lagging behind China economically. During the period which China has done enough spending on military hardware. China has fought a bloody war with India in 1962 over the border. With the new double digit growth rate India is only playing a catching up game with the china. The same is done by the Australians or Japan or south korea, Thailand and Malaysia. See every country is spending more on defense to counter the china’s military might. She needs to invest more in Navy to have her control over the Indian Ocean which generates most of our trade.
@Nathan: Despite of all this India is spending only less than 3% of its GDP on defense. China its more than 12% and global average is 5%.
nov
Yes it is true that many Indians are under poverty line but when you have two neighbors like Pakistan and China with whom you had 3 and 1 battle respectively…
You cant take chance when you that south Asia is volatile region and as far India is concerned they share border with two nuclear countries with whom you have border disputes.
James
I have just been to Mumbai.
If Mumbai is the showcase city of India, then the rest are pathetic!
Where are the infrastructures??
I encountered beggars everywhere. Whole families sleep on the street every night and so many children are deprived of an education.
It is sad that India put weapons ahead of its people welfare.
This is a crime against humanity.
Praveen Kumar
Lets not deviate away from the core topic, which is India’s preparation vis a vis a n increasingly assertive China. Just because India or in fact China have a lot of poor does not mean they can put their defense strategies on hold. James, i do not know which country you are from but your country would either be extremely powerful or would be NATO or ANZUS or other such political ( read military) groups. So other small countries can expect US to defend them, but India can’t. So it is not a crime against humanity. Also, Nathan, your country if it is rich, must have a higher per capita carbon emission than India’s so let us not talk about the stink, at least that goes back to soil where it came from where as your carbon, due to excessive luxuries westerners are used to stays afloat for years causing tragedies in far off places.
akpk
China has created a navel base in srilanka in name of a port and they too having their eyes on Southern Eastern parts of TamilNadu. Heard that they started moving to one small village in India too.
Robert mathew
When a country is surrounded by hostile countries, spcially when the immediate neighbour demanding India’s disintergration and Islamization, poor and poverty had to be kept in abeyance with absolute focuss to secure the country. It is ofcourse a tragedy that the millions starving population need attention and the funds could be well spent on irradication of poverty. But India has two neighbours. One with total disregard to its own sufferings of self inflicted bloodbath and regardles of consequences to thier own security through sponsorship of various terror outfits, a neighbour lives in borrowed feathers since emergence, a neighbour that made deception her national policy and indescretely diverting billions of donated funds to sponsor terror globally. The other is a bigger one and the second larges economy which has settled her bilatral issues with all her neighburs except India,keep on intruding indian territory at her will and provocativelly enhances her defence ifrastructure at boarders with India, with no sign of resolving issues. Can India wait without prepardness. When one talks about the millions of poor in India,let him not imagine that he lives in country where milk and honey floors. At least, india does not go with a begging bawl to feed her millions. Unfortunatelly the hostile environment around India compelles her to spend billions on defence. China and Pakistan together is a force formidable. The article indicates India’s measures to counter the threat and the steps taken in the right direction. However they are largely inadequate and lethargic to implement a two frontal stragy. I am certain that no Indian would like to experience a repeat of attacks on the Parilament and Kargil. Nation building entails sacrifice. China, is a country that does not want India to emerge as a econimc and a military power. Chinese suffered during the cultural revelution and millions starved, but yet emerged as a power. Poverty is a part and partial of emerging countries which can be addressed. But security threats from the neighbouring countries, competing with each other for the annihilation of India are looming large and keep Indian secrity agencis on the tenterhooks. India no longer could afford to ignore them. So, those who address their concerns to the povery in India are with a brain of a bird. A country’s viability is paramount. India’s slow space of self reliance in defence is a serious concern. The present and the evolving senarios must be considered as a prism through which india must envisage the future which entail India to trippling up the men and material to cover the large boarder in the land, sea and air and to implement the two frontal theory.
mandrewsf
India sorta reminds me of the USSR trying to outrace the U.S. in military spending. It would be unwise for India to catch up to China’s military spending when its total GDP is less than 30% of the latter.
Johnson
I do not think China’s military buildup are a threat to India. China has deep psychological scars after defeated by the British and Japanese. China need to modernise her military capabalities to defend herself. The medias are painting China in a bad light. I am sure China does want to start a military rivalries with any nation especially India. India is not an enemy. China and India should work together to defend themselves
ASEAN
Nathan & James are just two of common names most people with Chinese descent would use. (There seemed to be a lot of “Nathan” in Hong Kong too.) So, I suspect that these two are Chinese, or could even be one person.
As for the main topic at hand, I find nothing wrong with some healthy competition, which ultimately triggers growth and development, as long as they could be harnessed to good uses. Unlike the Soviet Union, the US made good use of many of its originally-military intended inventions to improve its people’s way of life and society in general. The Internet and GPS are just two examples.
John Smith
India cannot back down from the challenge, India must defend the greater Hindu glory even if the people have to tighten their belts. India must have 12 super aircraft carrier battle groups, 100 nuclear ballistic submarines and attach submarines, 200 stealth warships, 1000 F-22 class jet fighters, 5 million motorized combat troops, and many more. The more arms the better.
James
India was sold a DREAM by Bush about becoming a super power and unfortunately the Indian took it to their head.
India can only become great if She focus in developing her economy, infrastructures and elevate her poverty which is on display everywhere.
Take the Commonwealth Games for example. The preparation is going so badly, yet India tells the whole world…it will be the grandest and best games ever that they will stage.
Do the world believe this?
In years to come, countries like Brazil, Canada and even Australia will ovdrtake India in GDP ranking.Now India is ranked 11, perhaps in five years time, it will be 16???
India is rising.
Rising population,
Rising Poverty,
Rising super bugs,
Rising illiterates,
Rising un-fullfillment…
How sad???
mandrewsf
Please, less India bashing. India needs much work to do if it wants to catch up to China. But it is also true that the country started its reforms process only several decades after China. Given enough time India will naturally solve the problems that it lack the resources to solve right now.
But that also means, less drumming up hostility and competition (especially armed competition) with China right now–India will almost definitely lose, if only because its military budget is a third of China’s and the Chinese economy is 5 times bigger. China neglected the PLA for almost a decade when it tried to develop its basic economic infrastructure. Trading highways, schools, and hospitals for aircraft carriers that will probably never see action is the wrong call for India.
Joseph Tan
Do not be too personal. China need a strong navy due to the following reasons:-
i) China need to protect her import-export life-line, now that China is the largest
exporter in the world.
ii) Have you forgetten? In the 80’s in fact a Chinese registered and flag-flying
cargo-ship was literally hijacked by the US navy on the allegation of supplying
of prohibited weapon to Iran which turned out to be a false alarm.
iii) China had been attacked, the Emperor’s summer palace burnt and looted by
foreign armies in about 100 years ago. China then very rich but militarily
weak cannot prevent the on-slaughtered by 10- nations armies. China must not
make this mistake again.
iv) Except for Japan and Canada, China is the only country in the top 10
economies that had no air-craft carriers. In fact currently India has 2..
Even Thailand at 18 ranking also has 1 air-craft carrier.
v) The situation in the world is very volatile as compared say 15 years ago.
Many non-state player can inflict a very serious damage to even very advance
countries (read: America. Definitely China must take pro-active precaution
against these perpetrators. Do not always think that China hardware is
always against India. In fact China, is prepared to work hand-in-hand with
India in many fields – increase trade, fast rail from Hong Kong (or other
Chinese ports) through China, Burma, India, Pakistan, Turkey all the way to
Rotterdam.(old Silk Route)
vi) It need not required a nuclear scientist to conclude that cooperation
between the 2 great nation of China and India will gives great synergy not
only between the 2 great nations but also will effect the whole world at
large.
vii) To say you have this weapons and I must also have this better weapons only
enriched the arms peddlers. Of course one must have a certain minimum amount
of firepowers to act as a deterrent to would-be enemy. But to paint another
as an enemy may eventually makes another a enemy which is beneficial to no
one. Let’s write in a responsible and modest manner
viii)If the contested area cannot be resolved now, let just put aside first and
focus on something beneficial that both parties can moved on and benefit to
both. Let the next generations or the future leaders who may have the better
way to resolve this matter in one way or another. You will never know that
when trust had been developed, area of conflict can be resolved very easily.
Ronit Mandal
India & china are two greatly developing nation of the world & being an officer of indian navy I must say that here on this site we are having indo-china war through the comments. Lets stop this because conflict & jealousy would only lead to destruction and neither the winning nor the loosing side will be benefited from any kind of war,the topic of growing naval power is just to protect its own boder & country & is not for any rivalry between the two nations. both the countries need to do that & we will be increasing our naval strength but is not for attacking any country its only for defending ourselves and our broder overseas.So please stop giving such comments nathan ivan prithivi
sunil
What ever capacity India achieves,,, first thing we should have a brave political leaders and not impotent leaders. They should have the guts to respond properly and their actions and statements should not diminish the morale of the soldiers !
Since we don’t have strong willed political leaders .. the only hope is lying on the Army Generals.. Let them take poweor and dismiss the shameless politicians government. Let the Army rule India atleast for 10 years,, all our security concerns will be over and really we can feel proud. Presently we feel shame on our foreign policies and diplomatic failures and impotent leaders statements.
Rajeev Sharma
I am thankful to all who have commented on my blog entry — including those who have hauled me over coals. I agree with Mr Ronit Mandal that through some of the high octane comments we are trying to have an India-China war. Please wait for my next post for my elaborate comments and how intelligence agencies the world over engage themselves in sabre rattling in the websphere. Kudos to The Diplomat and editor Mr Jason Miks for publishing all these comments.
JVL
If you think about it, all these naval build up are done for two reasons:
1. National pride projects, and
2. Profits.
… and neither are exclusive to any single nation. The Chinese may be build a navy, but seriously, they should know better then challenging the naval might of the US Navy; even if they build 10 carriers will not even get them close to the capability of the USN in the near future (say 20 years perhaps). The only reason that they are consider a thread is purely due to the USN and/or related weapon manufacturers needing a reason for building the next generation of fighting ships and warplanes.
Most of us (the public) fall for the “nation pride” plot and the clever few focus on the “profits”. So ask yourself which side are you on? India would do well to avoid the excess of the former (national pride) and focus on the thread of the later (profit going oversea). Every bit of resources spend on arms means less for the rest of the population (and yes that include you!). Imagine what the nation can achieve if the cost spend on (say) the LCA was spend on a targetted project to improve the economy; what benefit would have been avaliable to you (yourself) today?
What about defense I hear? Perhaps you should look at the Singaporean defense policy; the two corner stone of their defense policy are “deterrence” and “diplomacy”, which best sums up what defense (of a nation) should be. If India only consider the first part, doesn’t it imply that her diplomats are not doing their job? Just a thought.
Rahul
To all those who want to bring India out of poverty by abandoning defence projects:
Imagine this: You are hungry after a tired day’s work but you don’t lie below poverty line and have a lot of staff to eat. Suddenly, someone points a gun at your head and steals your earned food. I think you will be able to defend yourself from such a situation because you boast of being a superpower of minds.
JVL
My response to Rahul,
That analogy to India’s defense dilemma is overly simplify. A more appropriate question is to ask who is actually stealing “your earned food”; or who is selling you all those ‘equipments’ and are they a fair price to pay for. Ask yourself, is it correct to spend billions on these ‘equipments’ while your neighbour (not an analogy to a neighbouring country, people who live in the same city as you) is living on the street, and struggle to feed himself daily?
Just out of curiosity, have anyone thought how the Chinese managed to defend their country before their economy has started to improve; before the 1980s? I mean they didn’t have much in the way of hightech weapons. They military organisation was backward. They only have a small stockpile of nuclear weapons (relatively speaking). They have a huge population, and much of that were living under the poverty line.
So for those who believes the only way to defend a country is through massive military spending… well I’ll leave it at that.
Shahenshah
To JVL,
I am happy to see there are few who do not view the Worlde dually. There are those who see how the Nations of the High Orders profit from the philistine actions of the puppet despots of the Tiers Monde. I have concluded, Sir, that that which embroils One with Passion ought to be averted at all costs. Passion, whereof you speak, Sir, obviates Rationality. And Alas! As spaketh Volatire ‘Those who can make you believe in absurdities, can make you commit atrocities’.
Indian
My response to who are saying India should first spend to remove the poverty and should not spend on its defence since it is a poor country.
Please suggest me what should a poor man do if someone wants to loot and rape her family? Should he buy a gun to protect herself and family or neglect the enmeies and should buy food for his family? I will protect my family today and then will think about food.
India’s condition is similar now China wants to disintegrate India and helping Pakistan by everyway so that India will always busy with Pakis and will stand infront of her. Pakistan and some gulf countries are trying to divide India into many parts and want to transform India into a muslim country. Arabs, Iran and Afghanistan had attacked and looted India many time if you will go in history. And even they converted hindus into muslim by force and still their mission is same.
Tell me what should India do?
From my opinion India should work on both defence and economy.
If you are not strong in this environment India will be divided into many pieces and the same people will say Indian were coward and they lost their identy.
If you will see the history of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan then people will understand how these people have been by forced converted into Islam.
HPSR
China has done more for the Indian poor than the Indian Socialist State. We now can purchase products that only the rich could afford earlier. Even now the same products from any other country, or homemade, are more expensive than the
Chinese goods. It means that to make profit, not only have the western countries looted india, we Indians loot us indians. The huge profits enrich a few socialist indians by robbing poor ones of their earned money. Why cannot be sell our products to ourselves at a little less profit or pay for services more?
Even now the shopkeepers sell at an unimaginable profit the cheap chinese goods. Disgusting business ideas.
Mesquitice
@Nathan, alias sunshine
You live in your own world of cleanliness. Man and nature have coexisted for ages without you so called poshness. By the way, how do you dispose your facade. Do you gobble it up or what? You pour it into seas and contaminate water. Here the fecades are dried and breakdown into manure. Anyway, eating with your own hand is better than eating with a spoon. come out of your a/c room and explore nature.
@James,alias sunshine1
All these is the result of you guys, looting us time and time again. Still we dont cry! Keep your loot to yourself and we will meet after the loot is spent.
@HPSR,
Are you telling that China is now a social service country. Before cramming your head with your wrong notions. take a look at what the entire world has to say about china and their business tactics.
Nathan
I won’t hate the India. I’ll just HATE you people two faces bureaucrate!
Because you already accused this and many other commentors that we were gonna spew vile hatred about the INDIA.
Well, piss off! I won’t give you that satisfaction you stinking vile leftest libtard imperial-lovin wanna-be-hippie-pinko! There! You happy now, SYMPATHIZER?!!
Singh
Joseph Tan speaks like the typical chinese communist politburo member – with a forked tongue! He justifies what china is doing today in light of it’s past history – and conveniently forgetting that china is doing today to it’s neighbours what imperialists did to it in the past! So, what makes china any different from the imperialists? He says that china wants to live peacefully with it’s neighbours, but the reality is that it is becoming the big bully in the neighbourhood. China is spending billions of dollars in arming pakistan – just to keep India in check. If the greedy western corporations had not set up factories in china to increase their profits, we would not be seeing the belligerant china of today. The west should cut imports from china and relocate their factories back home – short term pain (economically) for long term gain (non-belligerant china and world peace). Will the free market, profit driven corporations of the west allow this? I doubt it. So, this will continue and china will eventually bite off the hand (west) that fed (established it’s economy) it and the west will get a taste of it’s own medicine!
Elmer Fudd
IMHO the best way for India to keep China from breathing down her neck is simply by ceasing useless support to Dalai Lama and other Tibetan refugees she currently harbors.
Weren’t India and China best buddies in the 50s before the smooth talking monk was granted asylum by Nehru?
Kailash
Security is the biggest issue,So India will never compromise with that at any cost.
Even the people die with hunger.
faizan_munwar
i think thinking about the security and not for the hunger of nation is think like a foolish stag
who thinks about his horns and not for hi legs who saves him
Ken Rogers
One day, George Bush came visiting and sold a Dream to the Indians.
Except, the Indians could not tell Dream from Reality.
I have visited India and I am just so sorry that our esteemed ex President played this trick on my Indian friends.
It is one thing to have a Dream but to take a Dream as Reality is just so silly and pretentious.
Like me just say, that in Ten Years time, a country like Brazil will outrank India in term of GDP and development.
Just visit India and you will see a country still struck in the mid 20th Century and that is the charm of India to westerners like me…. a country busting at its seam due to a lack of modern conveniences and abject poverty.
latsar
indo china
India and China should settle all outstanding border disputes peacefully by mutual give and take policy as soon as possible .If they do this ,then I am quite sure the future looks quite bright for these countries who are the inheritors of two the oldest civilizations of the world which have more then 6000 yrs of proud history and culture.I don’t have any doubt that they will live ,coexist and thrive peacefully as they have done for millennia .Both civilization had never had warring and invading culture and both mostly seclusive except for trading with the west.This being their culture and in build DNA ,I don’t see both Nations going on an all out war with each other which could only benefit the west.
Both countries have deep scares left by colonial and imperialist powers in the past .So it should in their own national intrest to settle petty diffrences and border disputes and see the larger picture and once again reclaim their global positions as two(OUT OF THE FOUR) of the greatest and oldest civilations the World have ever produced. PEACE