“The cyber threat posed by the Chinese government is massive.” That was FBI Director Christopher Wray, speaking at a recent security conference in Munich.
This article based on national security is a summary of important events that have taken place in last one week affecting India's national security
#COUNTERING CHINESE MULTI DOMAIN, GREYZONE, HIGH BREED WARFARE
China increases defence budget by 7.2% to accelerate military modernisation; Here's how India's preparedness holds up
China has announced a significant 7.2% increase in its defence budget, surpassing $230 billion, which is more than three times India's military expenditure. This increase comes despite China's economic slowdown and refusal to de-escalate tensions with India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). China aims to modernize its two-million-strong armed forces to deter US interference, especially regarding Taiwan. This includes strengthening conventional military and nuclear forces and strategic moves in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), such as a military assistance pact with the Maldives.
China warns that increasing Indian troops at border won't ease tensions
China criticizes India's troop addition, stating it doesn't ease tensions. Indian soldiers now safeguard a China-India segment, straining relations. A unified force protects a 532 km border section spanning Tibet, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh, amidst the India-China border dispute.
China, uses access to its massive economy as a way to coerce states that go against the regime’s wishes.
Economic coercion has become a significant element of China's foreign policy, serving as a tool to penalize countries perceived as challenging its national interests or the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). An illustrative example occurred in 2021 when China responded to the announcement of a Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania by suspending permits for Lithuanian food imports. Similarly, in 2020, China retaliated against Canberra's calls for a World Health Organization-led inquiry into the origins of the coronavirus by halting imports of Australian beef, barley, and other products. This followed restrictions on coal imports in response to Australia's exclusion of Huawei from its domestic 5G infrastructure.
Rather than resorting to formal economic sanctions, which China has long criticized as tools of Western hegemony, the country imposes costs on targeted nations through informal methods. For instance, to justify an import ban on foreign agricultural products, China often alleges the presence of pests or other ecological threats. These measures provide China with a level of plausible deniability, making it challenging for targeted countries to pursue legal action, while also adhering to its principled opposition to formal sanctions.
Despite the evident harm caused by these punitive measures, they have proven relatively ineffective in persuading targeted countries to align their behavior with China's interests.
Chinese Hackers Infiltrating America’s Critical Infrastructure
“The cyber threat posed by the Chinese government is massive.” That was FBI Director Christopher Wray, speaking at a recent security conference in Munich. With its 3,300 utilities and sprawling web of 5.5 million miles of distribution lines, the United States is particularly vulnerable to cyber incursions. It’s imperative for the U.S. to implement robust measures to defend against the rising threat of cyber weapons and update the almost decade-old energy sector plan.
Philippines to push back against China if maritime interests ignored, Marcos says
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr of the Philippines announced that the country will collaborate with China in discussions on the South China Sea dispute, but will firmly defend its sovereignty and maritime rights. He emphasized the importance of working with Southeast Asian nations and China to establish a code of conduct in the South China Sea based on international law. Despite this, Marcos reiterated that the Philippines will not concede any territory to a foreign power.
Maldives-China defence agreement to obtain non-lethal weapons and training, says President Muizzu
The Maldives has signed a military assistance agreement with China, marking a significant step in their relationship. President Mohamed Muizzu emphasized that this agreement, providing free "non-lethal" military equipment and training, will strengthen the Maldives' independence and autonomy. This is the first such agreement between the Maldives and China, previously known for economic support. The agreement includes training and non-lethal military equipment like tear gas and pepper spray. Muizzu's meeting with Chinese officials underscores the growing military ties between the two nations, amid a backdrop of shifting geopolitical dynamics.
China Outpacing U.S. Defense Industrial Base
China’s defense industrial base is operating on a wartime footing, while the U.S. defense industrial base is largely operating on a peacetime footing. Overall, the U.S. defense industrial ecosystem lacks the capacity, responsiveness, flexibility, and surge capability to meet the U.S. military’s production and warfighting needs. Unless there are urgent changes, the United States risks weakening deterrence and undermining its warfighting capabilities. China is heavily investing in munitions and acquiring high-end weapons systems and equipment five to six times faster than the United States. China is also the world’s largest shipbuilder and has a shipbuilding capacity that is roughly 230 times larger than the United States. One of China’s large shipyards, such as Jiangnan Shipyard, has more capacity than all U.S. shipyards combined.
China’s Semiconductor Industry Advances despite U.S. Export Controls
Paul Triolo stresses that the Chinese semiconductor industry is pursuing a multipart strategy to respond to U.S. choke points. China prefers connectivity with global industry but is focusing resources on technologies already under pressure or likely to face restrictions. As with any complex industry, and the semiconductor industry arguably has the world’s most complex technology and geographically dispersed supply chains, the devil will always be in the details.
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