Zeenews Bureau
Beijing: In a strategic move that could potentially pose a threat to India’s security, Beijing has signalled to set up military bases in overseas locations including Pakistan, a Chinese government website said on Friday.
“Setting up overseas military bases is not an idea we have to shun; on the contrary, it is our right…it is baseless to say that we will not set up any military bases in future because we have never sent troops abroad,” said the report.
The move is also clearly to counter US presence in the region and exert pressure on India and the US vis-à-vis Pakistan and Afghanistan.
“As for the military aspect, we should be able to conduct the retaliatory attack within the country or at the neighbouring area of our potential enemies. We should also be able to put pressure on the potential enemies' overseas interests. With further development, China will be in great demand of the military protection,” the report added.
A military base in Pakistan will be handy for China to keep a tab on Muslim Uighur separatists who are fighting for an independent nation in its western region of Xinjiang, which borders the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan.
Incidentally, Beijing has recently signed an agreement with the NWFP government to keep a close watch on the movement of Uighur ultras.
“We are facing the threat posed by terrorism. The threat also includes secessionism outside the Chinese mainland. The situation requires us to be able to hit the vulnerable points of our potential opponents by restricting their international waterway. So we need to set up our own blue-water navy and to rely on the overseas military bases to cut the supply costs,” the article said.
China has no military bases outside its territory. It has often criticised the United States for operating such overseas bases.
The recent statement is bound to create consternation in Indian circle. Growing military ties between China and Pakistan are a serious concern to India. New Delhi worries about Beijing’s rising influence in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region.
First Published: Friday, January 29, 2010, 14:48