Former Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt. General (retired) Shantonu Choudhry expects that China is going to up the anti-India ante after the Beijing Olympic Games, and says that it could lead to some border skirmishes. The attempt will be more flagrant if Indias political centre is perceived as weak, he adds. Whether this starts in the autumn of 2008 or after the next general elections, will depend on Chinese calculations of which parties are likely to form the next government in New Delhi, he says. Lt. General (retired) Choudhry further adds that the probability of an all-out border war is low, but a series of border skirmishes is a distinct possibility. He says the growth of the Indian economy and the countrys recent attempts to develop closer ties with the US are viewed with deep suspicion by China. Lt. General (retired) Choudhry adds that the Chinese fear that growing US ties with India and the nuclear deal will bring about a shift in the balance of power in South and South East Asia which would be against Chinas strategic interests.Commenting on Chinas anti-India motive, he said that Beijing would like to tarnish the image of New Delhi in the wake of perceived struggle for dominance in South and South East Asia. Lt. General (retired) Choudhry says, China may actually like to engineer a border conflict and the Indian political, diplomatic and military leadership must prepare for it. Along the border there are a number of areas where the Chinese enjoy geographical, logisti
