China, US aid to Pak will adversely impact India: Mishra

NEW DELHI: Chinese and American military aid to Pakistan will "adversely impact" India's national security and there are "clear signs" that Beijing will not allow New Delhi to play a greater role in Asia and global affairs, former National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra said on Wednesday.

"There are clear signs that China will not allow India to play a greater role in Asia and global affairs. It is for this reason that 'all-weather relationship' between China and Pakistan has evolved into a virtual military alliance," Mishra said said at the national security seminar organised by United Service Institutions of India (USI).

His inaugural address was read out in absentia. "The irony is that the American policy in Af-Pak region, which includes a largesse of billions of dollars and military equipment including F-16 (fighter) aircraft, has the same adverse impact on our national security as China's assistance to Pakistan," he said.

His comments come close on the heels of Army Chief General V K Singh's comments that India was "not sure" of China's intentions for building infrastructure and military strength on the borders.

Mishra said China's intentions to not let India play its role in the region and the world was "clear" from the changed attitude on Jammu and Kashmir, construction of roads and rail system to Gwadar port, executing projects in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), the new nuclear deal, and supply of defence equipment to Pakistan.

"All this (is) meant to keep India embroiled with Pakistan, so that india is unable to play a significant role outside South Asia," he added.

China has recently denied visas to an Indian Army Commander from Jammu and Kashmir and issued stapled visas to residents of the border state, apart from building reliable road and railway system to Gwadar port and executing infrastructure projects in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK).

Mishra said, one of China's miscalculations and strategic error was transfer of nuclear technology to Pakistan which encouraged India to build its own nuclear weapons.

"But China was so convinced that India was building nuclear weapons that it helped Pakistan build nuclear weapons, forcing India to start its nuclear weapons programme," he added.

The former NSA said even after US President Barack Obama's "great speeches" during his just concluded visit to India, the content of the strategic partnership between the two countries "benefits" the US more than India.

"All the business deals done, the lifting of sanctions on the Entity List, giving us more defence equipments we require urgently, like the other business deals, benefits US in a commercial way," he noted.