India is studying possible responses to a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan following discreet inquiries from the US on how the nation could contribute in the event of a war, senior Indian government officials said.
About six weeks ago, Indian Defense Chief General Anil Chauhan — India’s top military commander — commissioned a study to examine the wider impact of any war over Taiwan that also involves the US and its allies, and what action India could take in response, two senior Indian officials said, who asked not to be named as discussions are private.
The order came after the US raised the issue in several different forums, they said.
Photo: Bloomberg
The study would assess various war scenarios and provide options for India in case a conflict breaks out, they said.
Some Indian military commanders believe that strong statements might suffice as a response in case the war is short, but ultimately that would not be enough if the conflict drags on like the Ukraine war, the officials said.
India’s preparation for a potential war over Taiwan shows how its policy of “multi-alignment” would be tested in the event of a drastic deterioration of US-China ties.
Under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country has forged its own path on international relations, effectively hedging its bets by developing close ties to the US, while refusing to join international sanctions on Russia.
Yet tensions with China have also flared along their disputed Himalayan border, contributing to a deterioration in relations that might have prompted Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) to skip the G20 summit this weekend in New Delhi.
India has strengthened defense ties with the US in recent years, joining the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) along with Japan and Australia — a band of democracies intent on countering China’s growing influence.
One option the Indian military would study involves serving as a logistics hub to provide repair and maintenance facilities for allied warships and aircraft, as well as food, fuel and medical equipment for armies resisting China, the officials said.
A more extreme scenario, they added, would assess the potential for India to get directly involved along their northern border, opening a new theater of war for China.
While no deadline has been set to complete the study, the Indian military is under orders to finish it as soon as possible, one of the officials said.
The options prepared would be available for Modi and other political leaders to make a final call on any action should the need arise, the official said.
The Indian Ministry of Defense and Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to e-mailed questions. The US Department of State also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
India and China have mobilized thousands of troops, artillery guns, tanks and missiles closer to the unmarked border running about 3,500km.
Diplomatic talks have yielded little, with China last month releasing a new map claiming India-controlled territory that Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar described as “absurd.”
India has publicly resisted efforts to make the Quad appear like a military alliance, and remains reliant on Russia — China’s most important diplomatic partner — for weapons that would be used in any regional war.
Even so, it has quietly sought better relations with Taiwan: Three former Indian military chiefs who stepped down in the past year all visited Taiwan last month.
Five years ago, India and the US signed the Logistics-Exchange Memorandum of Agreement, a foundational pact to allow refueling and replenishing of warships and aircraft, as well as access to bases when required.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
A former soldier and an active-duty army officer were yesterday indicted for allegedly selling classified military training materials to a Chinese intelligence operative for a total of NT$79,440. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chen Tai-yin (陳泰尹) and Lee Chun-ta (李俊達) for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Chen left the military in September 2013 after serving alongside then-staff sergeant Lee, now an army lieutenant, at the 21st Artillery Command of the army’s Sixth Corps from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment. Chen met a Chinese intelligence operative identified as “Wang” (王) through a friend in November
RSS