Courcy’s Intelligence Brief

*** India reinforcing border infrastructure against China.  The Indian news agency PTI reported on 27 October than India is planning to build 14 strategic railway lines close to its borders with China and Pakistan.  In addition, it is constructing 73 new roads, with a total length of 3,812km, along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.  This news follows on from the admission to parliament last month by Defence Minister AK Antony that China has a “superior” infrastructure along its side of the border.  Antony described this state of affairs as a “collective failure”.  He said: “I have no hesitation to say that China is in a better position than India in terms of border infrastructure.  It is a mistake; it is all of us who are to be held collectively responsible for it.  It is a historical legacy.”

*** Japan courting Russia as tension with China rises.  As the name calling between China and Japan over the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands continues to escalate and get more dangerous, Japan is boosting defence ties with Russia.  The defence ministers of Russia and Japan are to meet in Tokyo on 1 November and they are expected to confirm increased exchanges between their defence forces.  The envisioned exchanges will include mutual visits to air bases by air force personnel and new joint exercises between ground forces.  Until now, only their respective navies have had exchanges. 

The new exchanges may not be dramatic, but they are in stark contrast to the state of relations between Japan and China.  On 29 October, the Chinese foreign ministry told Japan to “stop hyping” the military threat from China and to explain the true intent of its own military build-up.  

On 27 October, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned China about continuing incursions into Japanese waters around the Senkaku Islands, and rather ominously said: “We will demonstrate our intention not to allow a change in the status quo.”  In an address to Ground Self-Defence Force troops, Abe also said: “I would like you all to discard the notion that the existence of defence forces itself can act as a deterrent.”

*** Lebanon experiencing “civil war”.  Israel’s Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said on 24 October that there is now a civil war in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Sunni jihadists from Syria.  He said: “To those who are not yet aware, there is already a civil war in Lebanon.  Global jihad, which has infiltrated Lebanon and is attacking Hezbollah, is blowing up car bombs in Dahia and is firing rockets at Dahia and the Bekaa Valley.