New Delhi, April 22 -- Almost everywhere one looks, China is ramping up pressure against neighbours and would-be adversaries. This is happening diplomatically, economically and militarily, even as Chairman Xi Jinping rapidly builds up the combat capabilities of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and prepares China for a drawn-out "struggle".

Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), addressed these concerns in a House Armed Services Committee testimony on 10 April. He warned, "China continues to pursue unprecedented military modernisation and increasingly aggressive behaviour that threatens the US homeland, our allies and our partners."

Military threats are just one element in China's toolbox for those...