This file photo taken on 10 July 2008 shows a Chinese soldier (L) next to an Indian soldier at the Nathu La border crossing between India and China in India’s northeastern Sikkim state. File photo/AFP/Diptendu Dutta
AFP
ON THE WEB, 20 May 2020
The United States on Wednesday accused China of employing border clashes with India to try to shift the status quo, and encouraged New Delhi to resist.
Alice Wells, the top US diplomat for South Asia, drew parallels between the growing skirmishes in the Himalayas and Beijing’s years of increasing assertiveness in the dispute-rife South China Sea.
“For anyone who was under any illusions that Chinese aggression was only rhetorical, I think they need to speak to India,” Wells told the Atlantic Council think tank.
“If you look to the South China Sea, there’s a method here to Chinese operations, and it is that constant aggression, the constant attempt to shift the norms, to shift what is the status quo.
“It has to be resisted,” said Wells, speaking as she retires from the State Department.
Indian and Chinese troops have engaged in a growing number of brawls and other low-level clashes on their sprawling border, including a recent standoff at the Nathu La Pass which connects the Indian state of Sikkim and Chinese-ruled Tibet.
The world’s two most populous nations have longstanding border tensions and fought a brief 1962 war, which shattered the hopes of India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, for solidarity between the Asian powers.
China still claims about 90,000 square kilometres (35,000 square miles) of territory under New Delhi’s control.
Wells reiterated that the United States backs India’s claims and encouraged New Delhi and Beijing to resolve their issues diplomatically.
The United States has for two decades been building close ties with India and has an increasingly acrimonious relationship with China on multiple fronts.
China is quite desperate now after the backlash its been facing from all countries. It will resort to any measure – whether it be buying politicians, academicians, journalists and even countries to threatening and bullying.
Enjoyed watching Arnab’s debate on Republic World – “India and US Unite to Expose China”.
Finally, good sense prevailing all around the globe from US to Australia to UK to many East European countries. But where is Canada? Is Justin Trudeau still in awe of China’s dictatorship or is it that his hope for the security general post in the UN dictating his politics. Very sad, two Canadians still held illegally by the CCP and Canada not doing anything about it.
It is said there is no point in crying over spilt milk but it’s important to remember and remind the younger generation of Indians why India is having to face such tension on its border with occupied Tibet. It is the pussillanimous policy of past Indian leaders who couldn’t see beyond the confines of India and treated the Tibet issue as having no consequence for its security and stability. They were taken by communist rhetoric without understanding the evil intent behind it. Pandit Nehru was dozing away while the young Dalai Lama was pleading with him to help the plight of Tibet! Nehru told HH, India can’t help! His idealism was his undoing. The Indians put all their eggs in one basket, that is the opiate of Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai mantra. It ignored the ramifications of Chinese occupation of Tibet. Today, India is in an unenviable state of having to fight on two fronts: Pakistan in the west and China in Tibet. How could any Indian with brain allow itself to be trapped between two vicious enemies? Not only India cannot win in a two front war but China is using both Pakistan and Nepal to contain and box in India in South Asia. India cannot spread its wings beyond South Asia. Even Sri Lanka with the Raja Paksa clan are more cozy with China than India. Today, the only two trusted friendly neighbours are Bhutan and Bangladesh. Sacrificing Tibet for Sino-India detente has imperiled the national security India as never before and India will face the same aggression China is using against Vietnam, South China Sea and Taiwan. As Nepal has become the latest Chinese tool to annoy India under the pretext of claims of territorial dispute, that India claims as its own, India is facing multiple challenges, all created and manipulated by communist China. India must stand ground!
You keep harping about Nehru and at the same time you want to align with those same forces that follow a policy of appeasing China. Whether it be the Progressive/liberal left of the Western countries or the pseudo left/ Communist/Congress of India. These groups will gladly welcome a strong China as opposed to a strong America or strong India.
Nehru even handed the security council seat to China on a platter as a gesture of political correctness of the time. The same BS has been going on for a long time. Only now things are shifting.