The Rise of Great Nations, a documentary telecast recently in China elicited considerable interest among strategy thinkers across the world. Close on its heels, Chinese President Hu Jintao showed up in military fatigues to make an ominous advocacy of a powerful navy for "sound preparations for military struggles" and for the strategic objective of "comprehensive national power" extending and expanding its global presence. China's urge to fly the national flag ever farther afield is evident in its eagerness to demonstrate its rapid "remarkable leap", in the pace and fervour with which it amasses sophisticated weaponry, in the way it equips its 2.3 million strong PLA, and in extending its presence to the Malacca Straits and the Indian Ocean.
The Chinese juggernaut has rolled on for a quarter of a century with its incredible economic upsurge. With its GDP galloping to $1.7 trillion, it is already the world's sixth-largest economy and the world's third-largest exporting country after Germany and the US. Its foreign exchange reserves exceed $1 trillion. Its rapid economic growth has been largely concentrated in the coastal areas. Its long-range maritime interests have drawn it to look beyond being a continental land power to a sea power as well. In tune with its strategy of "oceanic offensive", its ambitions in the Indian Ocean are described in the Chinese circles as "China's next frontier".
China is busy creating a new dynamism all along an axis that spans the continent of Eurasia. The Dark Continent has been wooed with aid to African countries, where it is buying oil and gas, minerals and materials for its bourgeoning industry. It has been busy developing multimodal connectivity all along the borders and inside the neighbouring countries as a strategic measure and to facilitate trade flows. Thus, rail and road links have sprouted along and inside Pakistan, Myanmar, Vietnam and Nepal. Overtures have been made to extend the Golmud-Lhasa rail line, the world's highest railway, to Nepal. The Beijing-Lhasa rail link has serious strategic implications vis-