'China's military build-up, support to Pakistan main threats'

China's military modernisation and its continued support to Pakistan, including infrastructure development in Northern Areas, were listed by the Army as the major threats faced by the country.

In a detailed presentation on demands for grants before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence, Army Vice Chief Lt Gen SK Singh also mentioned the continued instability in Pakistan and the terrorist infrastructure there as a major security challenge facing the country, sources told PTI here.

Terming China as one of the major threats, the Army in its presentation mentioned Beijing's unresolved boundary issue with India, its infrastructure development in Tibet and inroads into immediate neighbourhood as the reasons behind its thinking.

China's politico-military assertiveness and support to Pakistan including infrastructure development in Northern Areas were also cited in the 22-page presentation.

Terming Pakistan as the "epicentre of terror", the presentation said it was continuing its support to the proxy war against India and was keeping the terrorist infrastructure on its soil intact.

The Army told the MPs that it desired to prevent wars through deterrence and it should have the capability to calibrate a proactive response to a war.

The Army also came up with a tentative modernisation plan for the next fiscal in which it briefed about the allocation to its different arms.