In the times to come China will keep playing Pakistan card against India. All the policy makers in India know it well and that is why they are advocating a “two front war” theory these days. In fact India has to have a perpetual headache in the form of its neighborhood particularly comprising of China and Pakistan. It is a sheer power politics. India cannot plead morality or self-restraint when it comes to address the nexus between China and its rouge proxy Pakistan.

It is also beyond logical understanding why India’s wisdom has not so far devised a persuasive policy to counter this nexus. These 3 steps may be among others to meet the challenges resulting from China – Pakistan axis.

Vietnam is an arch rival of China in South East China Sea. They both have very acrimonious history and Vietnam has tasted the bitterness of Chinese fruits in the past also. It is the only country in Chinese neighborhood which can resist China at mental level. Its physical resources are limited. India (if necessary, in league with the US) can supply these resources to it. There were some news items in the past saying that the US was providing a Civil Nuclear Deal with the Vietnam also as it had done with India. This will put China under pressure. Any close cooperation between Vietnam and India would provide a check on the thinking process in China against India and Vietnam both.

Fostering relations with Taiwan may be one more option. One China policy may be kept at front while inculcating such relation with Taiwan. Taiwan is more delicate issue for China than what the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is for India. The issue of Tibet may be exploited in addition.

With Thailand, India has traditional and cordial ties. These have to strengthen further. In temple dispute against Cambodia, it had felt a Chinese hand on the back of Cambodia.

Thailand is on the point of developing Ko Racha Yai as a base for its naval forces. The position of Ko Racha Yai is right on the entrance of Malacca strait and it is in the east of Andaman Sea and just south of Myanmar mainland. The policy of India to block Malacca strait in case of conflict with China will become irresistible once India has its approach to this island. This island would provide a better support to check Myanmar if it allies China in that conflict scenario.

Half of the Chinese prosperity enters through its western borders. It has got its access to Pakistan through POK and it is also going to have access to Arabian sea and hence Indian ocean and Gulf of Aden from the port of Karachi. Pakistan has offered China the operation of Gwadar Port in Baluchistan. That will be the fiercest day for the international community in general and India in particular.

This all is possible because of POK which Pakistan has snatched from India in 1948. It is an inalienable part of India. India has all the rights to regain its control whenever the international circumstances are conducive. It is India’s Taiwan which has been captured by Pakistan.

Once the control of POK is restored with India it would have the potential to change the international power equations. India’s border will touch to those of Afghanistan and it would become a natural contender to be a necessary party to the Afghanistan scenario. All the illegal nuclear and missile transfer between China and Pakistan would be stopped. It would have to be shipped through the Indian Ocean and then the Arabian Sea. The practice of proliferation by Sino-Pakistan duo would not be so easy. China would also be debarred to become a party in POK which it is trying to become desperately these days.

This would stop the Chinese access directly to Pakistan and Iran and the Arab world through the land route. All Chinese hubris would be reduced to half immediately.

India (and for that matter the US) ought to consider these options because otherwise the Chinese power would pose a threat to its (their) existence.