Why Xi Jinping's third term as president rings alarm bells for India

India became independent on 15 August 1947 while the People’s Republic of China assumed power in China on 1 October 1949.  Both nations have travelled on their own path of growth since then achieving different milestones. While China’s rise is more phenomenal in multiple fields, India has also grown substantially. Despite having different destinies in their evolution and growth, India supported China right from its independence including the signing of the Panchsheel agreement in 1954 which was followed by a brief period of Hindi-Chini Bhai-Bhai till China stabbed in the back in the form of 1962 war. The relations progressed thereafter in various phases of ups and downs including local skirmishes / conflict-like situations in 1967, 1987 and 2017. All events in these years were resolved largely favourable to India except the outcome of the 1962 war. The multiple bilateral agreements between India and China were largely holding the ground to maintain peace and tranquillity till April-May 2020 when China transgressed at multiple locations in Eastern Ladakh across the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The talks as per established protocol did not resolve all the issues between the two neighbours. Not only this, the Galwan clash took place wherein 20 Indian soldiers made the ultimate sacrifice including the commanding officer of the unit. The relations have dipped down since then to unprecedented levels despite the resolution of some transgressions based on mutual discussions at military, diplomatic and political levels. The normalisation has still been far-fetched despite the economic agenda of China at risk though it is still working in China’s favour as the creation of alternatives will take time. It will happen sooner or later as India is consistently working towards it. As it was not enough, Chinese president Xi Jinping has been elected as the third term president making himself the most powerful leader on 10 March 23 only other being the founder chairman Mao Zedong. In fact, Mao also struggled with multiple challenges despite being an undisputed leader. Against that, the grip on power by Xi Jinping has been ‘Total’ which was also witnessed in the form of public removal of ex-president Hu Jintao from the closing ceremony of the Chinese Communist Party. It’s an open secret that it was done on the explicit instructions of Xi Jinping thus putting a stamp of his power on anyone and everyone. While the third term presidency of Xi Jinping could be taken as a normal exercise as per the provisions of the so-called law prevalent in China, it rings an alarm bell for India. The activities of Xi Jinping from his first term onwards have been towards rising nationalism and consolidating Chinese positions all across, be it in Xinxiang, Tibet, Hong Kong or the latest efforts towards Taiwan. It has dared the US to take a firm stand on issues concerning its perceived national interests. Its open and ‘no limit’ friendship with Russia is creating a power bloc against the US and its allies. China is also on a diplomatic offensive to enhance its influence not only in Indo-Pacific but also in West Asia. The recent brokering of peace between Saudi Arabia and Iran is a manifestation of its rising clout. With a weakening Russia due to the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war wherein US and NATO countries are supporting Ukraine substantially, China is working hard to defeat US and NATO indirectly through the success of Russia in the ongoing war after which it will be ready to confront the US and any other country which interferes in its national path of resurgence. The third term of Xi Jinping not only cements him as a leader of undisputed credentials but also establishes him as a nationalist leader with a difference. Having created that image and succeeding in installing his blind supporter Li Quing as the new premier, it is but obvious that Xi Jinping will not only defend his newfound image but will like to reinforce it further. This can happen with three activities:

• Continue domination of the Indo-Pacific and negate the influence of the US and its allies
• Unification of Taiwan
• Intensifying its claim line in Eastern Ladakh along with raising the intensity of conflict in Arunachal Pradesh. China will be in hurry to do this till the time the border infrastructure is more favourable to it as India is trying to catch up. This likely urgency on part of China is a sure cause of concern for India.

While China’s anti-India stance may have Indian alignment with US in the form of QUAD and other agreements as one of the reasons, China has been reasonably able to read the US and its strategic overtures. It knows that while the US is supporting India on certain counts, it is also supplying necessary resources/funds to Pakistan on the pretext of maintenance of the F16 fleet and now on the pretext of rebuilding the country from the devastation of floods. The relationship between China and Pakistan is well known and both countries pose a collusive threat to India. It is at this time that the position of Xi Jinping getting cemented as third term president/lifetime president should be a major cause of concern for India. It must have raised the alarm bells in the Indian establishment for strengthening the response mechanisms in multiple domains. India is spearheading its border infrastructure development at a fast pace. Given the impending challenges from the Chinese establishment in the future, organisational restructuring of the defence forces and indigenisation are the two key areas which require mission mode employment of all the national resources to be prepared for any future conflict. The writer is a retired army veteran. Views expressed are personal. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.