These matter, I think. WWI started in large part because European empire nations all had a game of chess in mind, about who could gain what (and who could lose

These matter, I think. WWI started in large part because European empire nations all had a game of chess in mind, about who could gain what (and who could lose o it FOMO style) if there’s a conflict without them in it. Never mind they castrated themselves in the process and set up for another disaster 20 years on. In any bureaucracy there’s a kernel that focuses on O(50y) strategies and I find it likely this is how they see the world. Whether that’s genius or self-propelling war mongering, I’m not sure. The thing is, if India were to start threatening China in 20 years time, the time to prepare for it is now. Responding to threats is best done before they appear. You cannot magic out firefighters and their infrastructure as a fire starts. And if anyone is long-term-focused, surely that’s China.