Internal Constraints: In India, in terms of our noisy culture and democracy we "wash our dirty linen in Public"! So, we look weak. But on both counts, Chinese are different. So, China gives the impression of an impregnable, orderly society. But that is only appearance. China has reached a level of prosperity but how to maintain it? Up to 35 million internal immigrants in China and a large rural population which is yet share prosperity? What if they rise up? Corruption is also a big problem in China as it is in India. Here, people mutiny every day. "Rail Rakho", Road rakho"... but our democracy manages all that. But for China it would be a disaster. A few Tibetans rioting, China's leadership goes into worried meetings. External: China is respected for its trade and military prowess but it is also targetted for the same reasons. China may think only the USA is watching it. Everybody is, the neighbours especially. If China tries another 1962 with India, there would be strong pressure put on it from almost every Western country. Militarily, it would meet with stronger resistance. Buying years of enemity from India would not be worth the "finger area" of Sikkim. In 1939 when the II W.War started, everybody said, "Britain, a weak democracy would be "crushed" by a totalitarian Germany". We know, although slow at first, Britain delivered the knock-out. For all its internal squabbles, in 1962, Indian govt., received tons of gold donated by its people for the war.
