What I meant is that it is the only one in the region big enough to stand up to bullying and sustain a short term war. The Chinese withdrew from the recent con

What I meant is that it is the only one in the region big enough to stand up to bullying and sustain a short term war. The Chinese withdrew from the recent conflicts only because they knew that India wouldn't back down and the Chinese would get a heavy bashing. It would of course not have happened without the support of the Indian allies on the east coast of China and the US. In Kargil Pakistani troops had captured all the strategic high locations, and fortified bunkers. There are some answers here, https://qr.ae/pNKfPI https://qr.ae/pNKfPI