The impact on China-India relations from the newly established "China cells" - Indian military think tanks focusing on China - hinges on the true intentions of the Indian army in setting up such bodies, observers said.

The Indian army has, for the first time, established a special team of officers to keep tabs on China's growing capabilities, understand its strategic mindset and predict its impact on national security, Indian newspaper Hindustan Times reported on Monday.

These officers, assigned to "China cells" scattered across the northern, central and eastern sectors where China and India have border disputes, have been given the sole mandate to track every Chinese move and file reports on a daily basis, the newspaper quoted a top officer as saying.

The report said the teams are monitoring not only China's military capabilities but also critical areas such as its international relations strategies, "soft power" efforts and economic reforms. The army looks at the move - a brainchild of army chief General Bikram Singh - as a way of understanding China better amid global concerns about its strategic intent.

"It's not about an incursion here or a transgression there. The 'China cells' are looking at the big picture," the officer was quoted by the newspaper as saying. He clarified that the army wasn't interfering in the domain of the Ministry of External Affairs, describing the "cells" as the army's "in-house think tanks".

Officers lead cells

One of the cells at the Kolkata-based Eastern Command is staffed by six officers, including a brigadier who heads it. The squads at the Udhampur-based Northern Command and the Lucknow-based Central Command consist of three officers each and are headed by colonels.

Ma Jun, a military expert based in Beijing, said the establishment of new military think tanks focused on China shows the Indian side wants to gain a more in-depth understanding of China's strategic thinking on border disputes and ongoing infrastructure projects in the region.

At a meeting of special representatives for border disputes earlier this month in New Delhi, the two sides expressed their positive attitudes toward resolving their differences, said Ma, who is a researcher on Indian studies with the Military Science Academy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

"If the purpose of 'China cells' is to handle the disagreements in a better way, they will play a positive role in bilateral relations; but if their goal is to monitor the Chinese army in the region and work against Chinese forces, they are likely to generate further distrust between the two countries," Ma added.

Fu Xiaoqiang, an expert on South Asian studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said accurate information collected by the military think tanks may help the Indian leadership to make the right decisions.

"But it also shows that the Indian army has clearly identified China as a real strategic rival," he added.

Wan Wei, an India expert at the Chinese Association for South Asian Studies, said the new think tanks could help improve the Indian military's influence on national strategic issues.

"For a long time, military opinions were not highly valued by the Indian leadership. The 'China cells' are a way to promote the voices of the military on issues of national interest," Wan said.

Military exchanges can help to enhance mutual trust and ease tensions between countries, he said, adding that China also needs to enhance the capacity of military think tanks to gain a better understanding of other countries.

zhaoyanrong@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 02/19/2014 page11)