China replays Doklam tactic of Psy Ops in LAC stand-off
THE CHINESE MISINFORMATION MACHINERY IS OUT TO SEED THE MINDS OF THE PUBLIC WITH MISTRUST TOWARDS RULERS THROUGH TAILORED IMAGES
nNEW DELHI: Psychological operations against the adversary is a key ingredient of the Chinese War Zone Concept (WZC). Although Psy Ops is a concept that dates back to the times of Chanakya and Sun Tzu, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has refined it by buying out influencers among adversaries to lower the morale of enemy troops and political decision makers.
Under this strategy, ground position maps and videos are leaked among the influencers to create political friction within the enemy country and seed doubt in the mind of the adversary on his capability to fight. Exaggerated information about deployed weapons systems against the enemy is circulated through official media even if the weapons are untested or unproven in war. The idea is to overwhelm the enemy into panic mode.
Like it did in the 73-day Doklam standoff in 2017, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is up to its old tactics to weaken Indian resolve in the ongoing impasse at Pangong Tso and Galwan River in Eastern Ladakh. With the theatre transparent to the engagers through technology, the Chinese misinpla formation machinery is out to seed the minds of the public with mistrust towards their rulers through tailored images conjuring up a perception of huge deployment.
The recent Chinese propaganda over a reconnaissance helicopter drone may be designed to scare the public, but a slow-moving drone will be shot out of the sky in one go in any contested air space. The propaganda about deploying the latest motorized cannons and missiles in eastern Ladakh by the Chinese fails to mention that India too has the same systems, if not better. PLA may be a step better in indigenous development of drones, but that has been neutralized by Israeli imports with India. The air forces of the two countries are matched evenly with both using the Russian Su-30 as their front-line aircraft. The IAF calls it Mark I and Air Force calls it Mark China. Despite China’s bragging, Indian Naval Aviation is miles ahead of anyone in the region barring a few.
The other critical aspect of Psy Ops is to create hope of resolution through dialogue and then cause disillusionment among the public. It is evident that the resolution of the standoff in eastern Ladakh will require a series of engagements, if at all. Given the heavy deployment on both sides, each would be looking for concessions from the other. It is will also be difficult for either the diplomats or generals on both sides to reconcile due to historical memories refreshed by Chinese attempts to dominate the 3,488 kilometre long Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Although China marched way ahead of India in upgrading border infrastructure at the turn of the millennium, New Delhi is fast catching up by building strategic roads right up to patrolling posts in eastern, middle and western sector of the LAC. Faced with a daunting Himayalan terrain in comparison with the flat Tibetean plateau, India is surely nullifying the Chinese military advantage. The standoff in Eastern Ladakh and the belligerence of the PLA should be understood in this context.