Articles

Salami Slicing, Fait Accompli and Buffers: What Next?

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF Article

The contradictions are stark. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has often opined that relations with China are not normal, because India will not agree to any attempt to change the Line of Actual Control (LAC) unilaterally. Stating again ....

March 23, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy , China , Article , China , PLA , Aksai Chin , LAC , Tawang , buffers

Balloon Surveillance and the Near Space Region

Air Marshal Rajesh Kumar (Retd) Article

With the US shooting down a fourth unidentified object over US airspace on 11 Feb 2023, it has been an unprecedented week or so for NORAD and the homeland defence. Among the four objects that have been brought down is the well publicised Chinese ball....

February 20, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy , Article , China , U.S. , LAC , Ladakh , ISR , balloon , near space

Disentangling the Perceptions of ‘Grey Zone Warfare’!

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF Article

One of our most serious problems today is defining what war is. Historically, war and warfare have rigid definitions, and national security and military doctrines, the capabilities and structures are designed to respond to those definitions. Wars wer....

February 08, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy , China , Article , LAC , Sun Tzu , no war no peace , Grey Zone warfare

US- India & Indo-Pacific: Takeaways from 2022

Dr Sweta Kumari, Associate Fellow, VIF Article

The year 2022 brought a series of geopolitical changes of global magnitude that were last witnessed somewhat in the Cold War period. The economic slowdown and the disruption of the supply chains that were triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic got furthe....

January 20, 2023 International Relations and Diplomacy , Indo-Pacific , Article , India , South Korea , China , ASEAN , Indo-Pacific , QUAD , South China Sea , Taiwan , Japan , LAC , Russia-Ukraine conflict , IPEF , US Domestic Issues , CAATSA Waiver

Inapt ‘Perceptions’ and Elusive ‘Peace and Tranquillity’

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF Article

Dai Bingguo, then State Councillor, Director of the General Offices of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Group of the CCP’s Central Committee and Special Representative (SR) for boundary negotiations with India from 2003 to 2013 had stated ....

December 14, 2022 National Security and Strategic Studies , International Relations and Diplomacy , Defence , China , Article , Indian Army , PLA , LAC , WTC , Dai Bingguo , Tawang , Yangtse , Xiaokong

PLA after 20th Party Congress: “Combat Readiness to Fight and Win Wars’’

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF Article

The much awaited Chinese 20th National Party Congress (NPC) is behind us, and the National Peoples’ Congress is about four months away. The Work Report by President Xi Jinping has been analysed ad infintum. President Xi Jinping has said that....

November 15, 2022 International Relations and Diplomacy , China , Article , CPC , Taiwan , CMC , PLA , LAC , Gen He Weidong , Integrated Theatres

Next Step in Disengagement in Eastern Ladakh and Contemplating Larger Implications

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF Article

On 8th September 2022, 50 days after the 16th Round of China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting at Chushul-Moldo in Eastern Ladakh, consensus was reached on disengagement of the Chinese and Indian troops in the area of Jianan La (Daban) also designa....

September 13, 2022 National Security and Strategic Studies , Article , PLA , logistics , LAC , Ladakh , Infrastructure , PP15

Border Security is Receiving Higher Salience in Tibet

Jayadeva Ranade Article

Over the past year, the Chinese authorities have increased emphasis on border security along the Sino-Indian Line of Actual Control (LAC). There have been a number of visits by senior Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) officials and TAR Security and Propa....

February 11, 2022 Neighbourhood Studies , Tibet , Article , PLA , LAC , TAR , border villages , Wang Junzheng

India-China Military Standoff at LAC in Ladakh Sector - Whither from here?

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF

The 14th round of Corp Commander level military to military talks took place on 12 Jan 2022 to diffuse the ongoing military standoff between India and China. The situation emerged almost two years ago in May 2020 after China undertook military build-....

February 11, 2022 International Relations and Diplomacy , China , China , PLA , Aksai Chin , LAC , Ladakh , Galwan , Pangong Tso , Podcast , Kailash Range , Buffer Zone , CBM , Chushul-Moldo , Gogra

Distilling a Strategic Vision for the Future

Lt Gen (Dr) Rakesh Sharma (Retd.), Distinguished Fellow, VIF Article

In all ages, major geopolitical events, wars and warfare has been an important topic of analysis, mostly by historians, as post-script. Can these be predicted, in their likelihood, broad timeframe, typology and the likely political and military end-s....

January 03, 2022 International Relations and Diplomacy , Article , India , Pakistan , China , LAC , Strategic Vision , scenario building