Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09NEWDELHI684
2009-04-07 13:25:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:
INDIA ANALYZES DOD REPORT ON CHINA
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C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 000684
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - PARA CLASSIFICATION AND NUMBER CHANGE
DEPT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PARM PM CH IN
SUBJECT: INDIA ANALYZES DOD REPORT ON CHINA
REF: SECSTATE 28316
Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Les Viguerie for reasons 1.4
(B,D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L NEW DELHI 000684
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - PARA CLASSIFICATION AND NUMBER CHANGE
DEPT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PARM PM CH IN
SUBJECT: INDIA ANALYZES DOD REPORT ON CHINA
REF: SECSTATE 28316
Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Les Viguerie for reasons 1.4
(B,D)
1. (C) SUMMARY: Indian Ministry of External Affairs Joint
Sec retary for East Asia Vijay K. Gokhale received the Annual
Report to Congress on Military Power of the People's Republic
of China (Reftel) with clear interest. He expressed concern
about China's opacity in terms of its budget and its
intentions, pressing for the U.S. and other interested
countries to get answers from China, as India's own dialogue
with China forms an incomplete picture. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) Acting PolCouns and DATT on March 31 met with Ministry
of External Affairs Joint Secretary (East Asia) Vijay K.
Gokhale to deliver reftel talking points. Gokhale accepted a
copy of the unclassified version of the Annual Report to
Congress on Military Power of the People's Republic of China.
Gokhale noted that force accretion is inevitable for a
rising power, but asked if China has the ability to deploy
such force. He commented that China always appears to
downplay its military abilities, while the international
community exaggerates them. Capacity is a critical issue,
but he suggested that the urgent question for India is, what
are China's intentions?
3. (C) Gokhale pointed out that the GOI shares U.S. views
about the opaque Chinese budget. India's focus is on how
China uses its equipment rather than how it spends. Gokhale
underlined that China's counter-piracy operations in the Gulf
of Aden are legitimate and show China's capacity to deploy.
He asked if the U.S. has examined whether there is any reason
to believe that such legitimate actions would eventually put
China into a position where it would be able to adopt a more
threatening posture towards India. China is seeking to
establish an increasing number of bases in Africa, he noted,
and the reasons for this are not clearly stated by Beijing.
He maintained that if China believes its White Paper
statement that "the periphery is peaceful," and if it has
adequate force to eviscerate Taiwan, yet it does not have the
capacity to target the U.S., then there is a contradiction
between the White Paper and China's acquisitions that must be
examined. EmbOffs inquired about the dialogue between India
and China on such matters. Gokhale relayed that there is a
dialogue track, but it forms an incomplete picture. Even
official military delegations don't get the same access in
China as they are granted in India. The Chinese troops "have
a good political education and don't talk," said Gokhale.
The opportunities are too few and too small.
4. (C) Gokhale stated that China has created an impression of
power, and it is not clear to him how the U.S. administration
will proceed with China: he contended that the media has
given the impression of a shift within the U.S.
administration towards greater accommodation of China. He
cited the American reaction to the USS Impeccable incident in
March 2009 as showing a "disconnect," and creating the
impression that the U.S. feels the need to accommodate the
Chinese. "It looks like the U.S. is adjusting to a new
reality," said Gokhale, adding that the U.S. response to the
Impeccable fed into China's efforts to create an impression
of power that might be used to coerce other nations. DATT
responded that the U.S. believes in open skies and open seas,
but China does not feel the same: the USS Impeccable was in
international waters and within the law.
6. (C) DATT noted that the U.S. Department of Defense is
organizing a classified China expert exchange and requested
that the Joint Secretary reach out if the GOI is interested
in participating. Acting PolCouns emphasized that last
year's quiet consultations on China between the U.S. and
India were fruitful, and underlined that the U.S. is open to
further dialogue.
BURLEIGH
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - PARA CLASSIFICATION AND NUMBER CHANGE
DEPT FOR SCA/INS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL PARM PM CH IN
SUBJECT: INDIA ANALYZES DOD REPORT ON CHINA
REF: SECSTATE 28316
Classified By: Deputy Political Counselor Les Viguerie for reasons 1.4
(B,D)
1. (C) SUMMARY: Indian Ministry of External Affairs Joint
Sec retary for East Asia Vijay K. Gokhale received the Annual
Report to Congress on Military Power of the People's Republic
of China (Reftel) with clear interest. He expressed concern
about China's opacity in terms of its budget and its
intentions, pressing for the U.S. and other interested
countries to get answers from China, as India's own dialogue
with China forms an incomplete picture. END SUMMARY.
2. (C) Acting PolCouns and DATT on March 31 met with Ministry
of External Affairs Joint Secretary (East Asia) Vijay K.
Gokhale to deliver reftel talking points. Gokhale accepted a
copy of the unclassified version of the Annual Report to
Congress on Military Power of the People's Republic of China.
Gokhale noted that force accretion is inevitable for a
rising power, but asked if China has the ability to deploy
such force. He commented that China always appears to
downplay its military abilities, while the international
community exaggerates them. Capacity is a critical issue,
but he suggested that the urgent question for India is, what
are China's intentions?
3. (C) Gokhale pointed out that the GOI shares U.S. views
about the opaque Chinese budget. India's focus is on how
China uses its equipment rather than how it spends. Gokhale
underlined that China's counter-piracy operations in the Gulf
of Aden are legitimate and show China's capacity to deploy.
He asked if the U.S. has examined whether there is any reason
to believe that such legitimate actions would eventually put
China into a position where it would be able to adopt a more
threatening posture towards India. China is seeking to
establish an increasing number of bases in Africa, he noted,
and the reasons for this are not clearly stated by Beijing.
He maintained that if China believes its White Paper
statement that "the periphery is peaceful," and if it has
adequate force to eviscerate Taiwan, yet it does not have the
capacity to target the U.S., then there is a contradiction
between the White Paper and China's acquisitions that must be
examined. EmbOffs inquired about the dialogue between India
and China on such matters. Gokhale relayed that there is a
dialogue track, but it forms an incomplete picture. Even
official military delegations don't get the same access in
China as they are granted in India. The Chinese troops "have
a good political education and don't talk," said Gokhale.
The opportunities are too few and too small.
4. (C) Gokhale stated that China has created an impression of
power, and it is not clear to him how the U.S. administration
will proceed with China: he contended that the media has
given the impression of a shift within the U.S.
administration towards greater accommodation of China. He
cited the American reaction to the USS Impeccable incident in
March 2009 as showing a "disconnect," and creating the
impression that the U.S. feels the need to accommodate the
Chinese. "It looks like the U.S. is adjusting to a new
reality," said Gokhale, adding that the U.S. response to the
Impeccable fed into China's efforts to create an impression
of power that might be used to coerce other nations. DATT
responded that the U.S. believes in open skies and open seas,
but China does not feel the same: the USS Impeccable was in
international waters and within the law.
6. (C) DATT noted that the U.S. Department of Defense is
organizing a classified China expert exchange and requested
that the Joint Secretary reach out if the GOI is interested
in participating. Acting PolCouns emphasized that last
year's quiet consultations on China between the U.S. and
India were fruitful, and underlined that the U.S. is open to
further dialogue.
BURLEIGH