Nancy Pelosi calls Xi 'just a scared bully' but China's neighbours know better

India would do well to remain cautious of China's moves. To checkmate any sinister Chinese designs, New Delhi could focus on all those nations in the region, with which Beijing has had a history of arguments.

Downplaying the Beijing backlash that followed her recent trip to Taiwan, United States House of representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said it is because Chinese President Xi Jinping is 'acting like a scared bully'. Is it as simple as this? Should China's neighbouring nations, which have been witness to its growing aggression, ignore the bully, relax and go about their day-to-day business?

Observers say China's neighbour Taiwan may ignore the bully. It has had a hidden defence shield from the United States and Japan to protect itself against any possible Chinese aggression. But India, a neighbour which has faced a constant Chinese aggression, cannot afford to take Xi lightly.

India is a truly independent country. It has a policy of strategic autonomy. India has thus to defend itself on its own. Xi's approach to world politics has been very dangerous to peace. Last year, in a speech marking the 50th anniversary of Beijing's return to the United Nations, he claimed to be a 'builder of world peace' and 'protector of international order'. Xi declared "China resolutely opposes all forms of hegemony and power politics, unilateralism and protectionism."

In reality, however, China, under Xi's leadership, has proceeded with its policy to establish its hegemonism in the region. It has been more and more assertive in staking its claims to the Indian territory in the Himalayan region. Beijing continues to back Islamabad against New Delhi on the Kashmir issue.

On August 5 this month, on the third anniversary of India's decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying called on India (and Pakistan) to "peacefully" resolve their differences in Kashmir.

China has long been modernising its defence forces and expanding its nuclear arsenal. China's arsenal could grow to 1,000 warheads by 2030 from about 350 now. China is moving fast towards closing its military gap with the US. Once it achieves its goal in the matter, it might embark on invading India.

India would do well to remain cautious of China's moves. To checkmate any sinister Chinese designs, New Delhi could focus on coordinating more effectively with all those nations in the region, with which Beijing has had a history of arguments. China has been in dispute with some Southeast Asian nations in the South China Sea and with Japan in the East China Sea.

More importantly, New Delhi must make appropriate investment in its own conventional and nuclear modernisation. India would do well to review its minimum nuclear deterrence posture. In the wake of the nuclear tests of 1998, India announced a doctrine of no-first-use of nuclear weapons. India must have an effective nuclear deterrent vis- a- vis China.

(Jagdish N. Singh is a senior journalist based in New Delhi. He is also Senior Distinguished Fellow at the Gatestone Institute, New York)

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