China's assertiveness in the region is increasing : Antony

New Delhi, Sept 13 (PTI) Recent events in Jammu and
Kashmir indicate Pakistan's continuing proxy war and China's
assertiveness in the region is increasing, India's Defence
Minister A K Antony cautioned Monday while asking the armed
forces not to drop their guard.
Antony, who addressed the two-day Combined Commanders
Conference that began here, said there were multiplicity of
threats.
"Our geographical situation and the compulsions of
history and geography pose challenges that are unique for any
country. At the forefront of these challenging situations are
those emanating from neighbours who continue to dwell in the
past and are keen to foment threats to our national
integrity," he said.
"A multiplicity of threats poses challenges to us. Events
in recent months indicate that the proxy war in Jammu and
Kashmir continues unabated. While required measures have been
taken to prevent the recurrence of acts of terror like 26/11
attacks on Mumbai; intelligence inputs demand that we cannot
afford to drop our guard," he added.
Noting that India wanted to develop friendly relations
with China, Antony, however, said the country could not lose
sight of China's increasing military and physical
infrastructure along the borders.
He, though, sounded a word of caution that the two
largest nations of the region had "equal stake" in maintaining
peace and ensuring development through which both could
benefit and prosper by taking the trading partnership to even
further heights.
"We want to develop friendly relations with
China...However, we cannot lose sight of the fact that China
has been improving its military and physical infrastructure.
In fact, there has been an increasing assertiveness on the
part of China," he said.
Antony said India was taking all necessary steps to
upgrade capabilities, but noted that these were "never linked"
to countering any particular nation.
The Defence Minister said the internal security situation
in the northernmost Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, North
East and Naxalism needed the government's undivided attention,
adding that the Maoists' activities that have grown in the
recent times needed to be addressed urgently. (MORE) PTI NCB
RDM


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