Congress MP raises Chinese military strategy in RS

Former Union Minister and Congress MP Ashwani Kumar on Thursday expressed concern over the media reports that China was pursuing a major military build-up in a “secretive manner” near India’s border.

Former Union Minister and Congress MP Ashwani Kumar on Thursday expressed concern over the media reports that China was pursuing a major military build-up in a “secretive manner” near India’s border.

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Raising the issue during the Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha, Kumar quoted a Pentagon report about the military spending of China.

“The published Pentagon report states that China has deployed long range CSS-5 missiles close to the Indian border and has developed contingency plans to shift airborne forces at short notice in the region,” the former minister said.

A peaceful and harmonious relationship with China was in national interest, but India cannot forget the historical facts, Kumar said.

“A rising India cannot be apologetic for an enhanced defense expenditure necessary to secure its strategic interests,” he said.

The former minister pointed towards China’s strategic engagement with Pakistan and said “Its (China’s) ratcheting up of a patently untenable claims with regard to Arunachal Pradesh, its ambivalence on the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Agreement are as real as the fact of China being India’s largest trading partner.”

Kumar was supported by many Members of Parliament, including those from the BJP.