The US-India nuclear deal and talk of ballistic missile defence systems are “negative developments for regional stability,” Chinese researcher Hou Hongyue said on Wednesday.
Hongyue, a research fellow at the Chinese People’s Association for Peace and Disarmament, a non-governmental body, was speaking at the opening session of a conference on “Nuclear Deterrence and Emerging Dynamics in South Asia”, according to a press release.
The three-day conference is being organised by the South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SASSI) University (SASSI) to analyse the challenges to deterrence stability of South Asia, developments in nuclear doctrines and role of short-range ballistic missiles, it stated.
Hongyue said China does not consider India a threat but the international community must act responsibly.
In her inaugural speech, the university’s director-general Dr Maria Sultan, said South Asia is confronted by challenges including new, ambitious “limited war fighting concepts” of the Indian military, according to the release.
Sultan said there has also been a massive increase in India’s conventional defence spending, which has pushed the region towards “perpetual instability.”
Sultan said India’s Cold Start military doctrine, developed to be used in case of war with Pakistan, together with “massive militarisation” gives India the capability to increase the level of the arms race in South Asia. This will also raise the level of minimum deterrence stability in the region.
She said Pakistan’s Full Spectrum Deterrence strategy is a response measure against evolving threats. The strategy includes as its key elements a short range ballistic missile system.
Dr Pervez Iqbal Cheema, Dean of the National Defence University’s faculty of contemporary studies, said serious threats from its eastern border led Pakistan to develop nuclear deterrent capability.
Lt-Gen (retd) Sikandar Afzal said the discriminatory policies relating to nuclear cooperation pursued by some major powers were creating insecurity and Pakistan had been compelled to take a stand against nuclear exceptionalism, selectivity and discrimination.
Masood Khan Khattak, visiting research fellow, said that Indian military modernisation is step towards operationalisation cold start doctrine and to achieve regional hegemony.
Adnan Bukhari, visiting research Fellow SASSI, stated that developments of tactical nuclear weapon along with the cruise missile are of significant vitality for Pakistan’s security. More
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