Countering China

Subhashis Mittra

New Delhi hosted the 13th Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs’ Conference (IPACC) against the backdrop of China’s growing military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific as well as India’s border row in eastern Ladakh.

Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande and US Army’s Chief of Staff General Randy George

Military delegates from around 35 countries attended the meeting on September 26-27, reflecting the geopolitical significance and geoeconomic weight of the Indo-Pacific nations, which account for 65 per cent of the world’s population, 63 per cent of the global GDP and 50 per cent of the world's maritime trade.

The region’s share in the global GDP, its share in merchandise market and maritime trade undeniably lends this region a pivotal stature in charting the world’s course in the 21st century. Chief of Staff of the US Army General Randy George and several chiefs of armies were among the notable delegates at the two-day conference. The IPACC, instituted as a biennial event in 1999, is attended by army chiefs of countries of the Indo-Pacific region to discuss issues of mutual interest. T