CHINA’s WEIQI PEARLS VS INDIA’s CHESS IN THE IOR

CHINA’s WEIQI PEARLS VS INDIA’s CHESS IN THE IOR

Is China’s strategy of ‘String of Pearls’ based on Weiqi versus ‘India’s Iron curtain’ based on Chess that IDU wrote about in Naval Review UK in relation to the Indian Ocean Region(IOR), now succeeding? Looks like it. But no one is discussing it. Has India’s Maldives policy misfired? Is Mauritius DTAA lost after Vodopone case and has Seychelles has given OTA to PLA(N) and tilted to China. See Pic EEZ in IOR. 

Today, both China and India are in ascendancy to regain their past eminence. Both nations are increasing their maritime reach and strength, with increasing economic clout and stirring ambitions. China dubs its nationalism as ‘Love For The Country’(Weibao) and are fired by a desire to regain their lost ‘Yellow Glory’, in a professed ‘peaceful harmonious rise’, and they mean it, harking back to advice of their philosophers - Confucius (Culture), Sun Tzu (Art of War) and Lou Tzu(Taoism) to remove the century of humiliation. 

 EEZ INDIAN OCEAN

The Chinese play a board game of patience called ‘weiqi’ pronounced ‘weychee’ (igo in Japanese, baduk in Korean). Weiqi is a board game with small ‘stones’ that is rich in long term strategy, and the game ends when the ‘opponents stones’ are surrounded and the result is mathematically declared. During one of Henry Kissinger’s visit to India few years ago, IDU briefly discussed Weiqi in connection with an article China’s String of Pearls based on Weiqi vs India’s Iron Curtain in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) based on India’s love for Chess and Check mate. Kissinger confirms it in his tome ON CHINA. 

Mail Today carried an article by IDU in which IDU explained how weiqi is the same as when ‘Papa shark teaches Baby shark’ not to attack the troubled prey and keep surrounding it, till it flounders. Is India floundering in the IOR ? Emotional Indians look to moves to checkmate opponents and the game of chess can even end in a draw. In Weiqi there is a decision. Chinese mothers always instill the Kaisu (winning) values and ‘a not to lose face’, attitude in to their children. Indian mothers send their children to a competition with words, “Har ke mat ana”…….Do not lose and come back but not “Jeet ke anna”. Win and come. In the 1952 Asian Games the slogan by Pandit Nehru, “Its not the winning that matters but the taking part”, was plastered all over Delhi. 

India vs China Comparision Page 1

India vs China Comparision.

So too act, India’s foreign service and Ambassadors controlled by the powerful desk Joint Secretary in South Block and Indian leaders and military look for draws (1962, 1965, Op Pawan 1987-91 and Kargil 1999 wars). Only when in the chips are down Indians are good to react but do not plan with a policy of long term strategy and goals. 13 years of National Security Council(NSC) and three brilliant Minister ranked powerful NSAs, have not risked define India’s National Interests and thence a strategy for the services to formulate doctrines, or their missions and roles, they squabble over. 

Its all improvisation called Indians ‘jugad’ at which excel Indians excel. Writers like George Tannan of Rand and David Brewster author of India A Pacific Power have both alluded to this in their writings and is linked to India’s ‘Panipat Syndrome’ to meet invaders not at the Himalayan passes but in the plains and that too with infighting; Today’s coalitions in UPA led by Congress and NDA by BJP show infighting with helpless leadership and no whip. Its unique. 

In India recently in a pink spring when people seemed fed up with the Government’s apathy took to the streets and leaned on the BARBARIC RAPE OF AN INNOCENT GIRL ( named Nirbhaiya ? ) IN AN ILLEGALLY PLYING BUS WITH CONNIAVANCE OF AUTHORITIES IN NEW DELHI to protest how deep disregard for law by the rich and mighty has gone, corruption, reactive action to muzzle voices and protest and disregard of integrity with scams has permeated in India in its officialdom and is being neglected and condoned by a professed honest and trusting PM himself with silence. Ratan Tata an icon said so too. The trends have increased in the last decade as India’s economy grew. It’s a wake up call. Placards in streets say HER FIGHT IS INDIA’S FIGHT. 

In the past Indian leadership formed an Iron Curtain and managed with direct moves as one does in chess, to cultivate the Indian Ocean states. India’s influence with steps of aid, co-operation, educational support, survey of their coasts by Indian naval ships and an ingenious Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement(DTTA) with Mauritius in 1984, enabled Mauritius as a route to become India’s leading investor. It also saw ‘Round Tripping of Indians Money’ in to India without capital gains tax and over $ 50 bill Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) from one building in Mahe. 

Today , Maldives seems slipping with GMR turfed out with Chinese proxy and tourists moving in, Seychelles is providing Ops Turn Around (OTA) to PLA(NAVY) , Mauritius is losing India’s DTAA advantage, Madagascar and Sri Lanka are looking to China for infrastructure development. USA looks to lease Gan island from money strapped Maldives as a base when it vacates Diego Garcia, when the lease expires in 2013. China would love that. 

Chinese String of Pearls strategy is gaining as an insurance for influence and assurance of SLOCs and Choke points in the IOR, based on weiqi. Chinese view India’s influence in IOR and Malacca Straits and Andamans as India’s Iron Curtain/ Iron Chain (ionfletin). China also suspects the QUAD as a threat and fears there is a QUAD between US, India, Japan, Australia and minor player Singapore. While Japan, USA and Australia are partners India has taken part in QUAD exercises and not been decisive where it stands. China appears to be taking advantage of India’s inaction in the IOR with its economy nearing a GDP of $ 8 trillion which is four times India’s and China is combining weiqi with sops of cheque book diplomacy for states in the IOR and Africa, and with maritime expansion and attempts to dislodge India’s influence in the IOR, which is still considerable. This needs urgent remedy.