The release of a white paper, titled China’s National Defense In The New Era by the country’s State Council Information Office marks an inflection point in its approach to global geopolitics. On the evidence of the paper, Beijing is finally ready to display some of the muscle it’s prepared to flex in order to secure its interests. Other powers seen as trying to thwart its claims in the South China Sea are to be fended off. This time, it has picked up the gauntlet thrown by the US in its 2017 National Security Strategy and 2018 National Defense Strategy. China spends three times what India does on defence, and signs of its seaward thrust are apparent in more areas than the white paper.

Source: Mint July 28, 2019 17:15 UTC