Tensions have flared between both China and India militaries along their disputed 2,175 mile-long border, with both sides alleging more frequent troop incursions in recent weeks. China is upset when the Indian prime minister recently visit the disputed region. China considers an Indian-occupied piece of it’s own Tibetan Autonomous Region, has added flames to the fire.

Indian Army

China of course already deeply resents the fact that the top Tibetan leader, and several hundred thousand exiled Tibetans, are allowed to reside in India.

India’s Maoist rebels are now present in 20 states and have evolved into a potent and lethal insurgency. In the last four years, the Maoists have killed more than 900 Indian security officers. Indian leaders are now preparing to deploy nearly 70,000 paramilitary officers to hunt down the guerrillas.The Maoists, however, do not want to secede or be absorbed. Their goal is to topple the system.

India’s rapid economic growth has made it an emerging global power but also deepened stark inequalities in society. Maoists accuse the government of trying to push tribal groups off their land to gain access to raw materials and have sabotaged roads, bridges and even an energy pipeline.

India is preparing the military for possible war with China and Pakistan. India and Russia have agreed two military pacts, including a 10-year deal on weapons, aircraft, and maintenance contracts potentially worth at least $5 billion, Indian defense officials said. India plans to spend $30 billion over the next five years to buy modern weapons systems and attack planes.

The agreement will certainly help as Russia needs a market and India needs a strategic reassurance to sort out relations that were going sour. India also wants to use the renewed focus on Russia as a counterweight to China, while a strong presence in South Asia could help Moscow keep an eye on China. India fears China is trying to encircle it as they jostle for resources and global influence.

China is a greater anxiety for Russia in the long run and politically it is desirable for India to strengthen relations with Russia

China has boosted military spending by more than 10 percent annually for almost two decades, and the official figure of $71 billion this year is thought by many analysts to represent only a portion of total defense spending. China announced plans to boost military spending by 14.9 percent this year, maintaining a longtime trend of annual double-digit percentage increases that have stirred concern in Washington and among Beijing's neighbors.

www.examiner.com/x-20010-NY-Economy-and-Politics-Examiner~y2009

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