The Hindu : 'India has edge over China in Russia's defence ties'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 11, 2002

International

International

'India has edge over China in Russia's defence ties'

MOSCOW NOV.10. Even as Russia's military-industrial complex is highly dependent on sale of arms to China for its survival, India has an edge over its neighbour in Moscow's international defence ties, a leading daily here reported.

`It is noteworthy that Russia sells China only that military hardware, which the Russian armed forces already have. While India receives more modern weapon systems, developed jointly with the Russian design bureaux,'' Kommersant daily said.

Explaining the logic behind India's ``privileged status,'' it said ``obviously, the reason for this lies in Russia's military-political doctrine, according to which, unlike China, India is not considered a potential rival in the long-term perspective.''

India and China have 30 per cent share each in Russia's defence exports and this `bi-polar' approach ``insures'' Moscow from a sudden change of political conjuncture in any one of these countries, according to the daily.

``Besides this, being the main exporter of hi-tech weapons to the two largest (populated) states of the world, locked in rivalry for leadership in one region, Russia gets an opportunity to control the balance of forces in Southeast Asia,'' Kommersant noted. — PTI

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