Politics Insight News Without Politics
(Pi Bureau)
New Delhi: Chinese media accused india of behaving “shamelessly before the international community”, and has warned that India will suffer “greater losses than in 1962 if it incites military conflicts”.
“If New Delhi believes that its military might can be used as leverage in the Donglang area, and it’s ready for a two-and-a-half front war, we have to tell India that the Chinese look down on their military power. Jaitley is right that the India of 2017 is different from that of 1962 – India will suffer greater losses than in 1962 if it incites military conflicts,” an editorial in China’s state-run Global Times said, referring to recent statements by Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and Army chief General Bipin Rawat.
“New Delhi’s real purpose is to turn the Donglang area of China into a disputed region and block China’s road construction there. The Cold War-obsessed India is suspicious that China is building the road to cut off the Siliguri Corridor, an area held by Indians as strategically important for India to control its turbulent northeast area,” the editorial said amid a 20-day standoff between the regional giants in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction. The standoff was triggered when the Chinese army’s construction party came to build a road.
Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region. China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the area. Bhutan, however, has no diplomatic ties with China and it is supported militarily and diplomatically by India.
India has expressed “deep concern” over China constructing the road in the disputed area and said it had conveyed to Beijing that such an action would represent a significant change of status quo with “serious” security implications for India. The stand-off also led to the cancellation of the Kailash Mansarovar yatra through Nathu La in Sikkim.
