NEW DELHI: Former Army chief General MM Naravane (Retired) on Thursday described China as India’s “main competitor” in the years ahead, despite India having fought wars with both China and Pakistan.“Pakistan and China are a totally different ballgame. We have fought wars with both of them. We have unsettled borders. So they will always remain on our radar as a threat, as a challenge,” PTI quoted Naravane as saying at a book launch event in New Delhi.However, he distinguished between the two, saying India’s immediate focus on Pakistan was driven largely by the continuing threat of terrorism, while describing China as a “competitor” rather than an “enemy.” He emphasised that he had “purposely” used the term “competitor” for China.“We have fought major wars with Pakistan, and because of their continued support to terrorism, our attention is towards our western borders. But I think we are very clear that in the long term and in the years to come, China is going to be our main competitor. And I purposely use the word competitor and not enemy,” Naravane said.Naravane, who was Chief of Army Staff during the 2020 Ladakh clashes with China and led India’s response, further stated that the two countries would be competitors across multiple domains, including politics, economics, trade and military affairs.“They are going to be our main competitor in all fields. Political, economic, trade, and of course military also. And wherever there is competition, there is always a little bit of conflict,” the retired Army general observed.He emphasised that India should seek to manage such differences through dialogue and diplomatic mechanisms rather than resorting to force.
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“It is up to us to try to resolve those conflicts, those differences, through the mechanisms of talks, dialogues. And taking recourse to the use of force should always be the last priority,” he said.However, he also stressed that India must maintain credible military preparedness to deter any potential misadventure.“There comes a moment when you realise that this is not going to happen. And therefore, you have to have a strong deterrence. That is why the armed forces have to be ready at all times. You have to have a strong deterrence to stop anybody from taking recourse to the use of force or any misadventure,” he remarked.
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