Beijing has voiced uncharacteristically strong warnings to India this week, each growing stronger by the day. Following the release Wednesday by China’s foreign ministry of evidence in support of demands that Indian troops withdraw from disputed territory, Beijing again issued a warning late Thursday night that the Chinese military’s restraint has limits.
The same week that saw a massive show of military strength to mark the People’s Liberation Army’s ninetieth anniversary also saw tensions ratcheted up beyond the level seen recently in any of China’s other territorial disputes. Beijing has clearly drawn a line in the sand that Indian troops need to vacate the area in dispute at once. The repeated advice Thursday night indicated India had yet to heed the warning.
A barrage of coverage in Chinese state media may serve as another message that China is prepared to act. The government-controlled media has made daily reminders to their Chinese audience that Indian troops have entered Chinese territory, that the PLA’s patience is limited, and that China’s military is ready to fight.
That last point is of special importance in the context of PLA anniversary, and a recent documentary celebrating Xi Jinping’s reform of China’s armed forces. The widely aired episode of a ten part series touting China’s reforms stressed the PLA’s preparedness for battle, and also hinted at the necessity for the military to see action.
One army official interviewed in the documentary, Li Huohui, explained during the episode, entitled “Road to a Strong Military”, that military drills held in Zhurihe, Inner Mongolia exposed an important weakness in China’s military.
“[China] hasn’t fought a war in many years, and as such a mentality of peace has developed. Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed that the army is for fighting wars.”
The Zhurihe military base, where the drills that Li referred to were held, was also the site of the PLA anniversary parade held last Sunday, a show of military power no doubt intended to instill pride in the Chinese public as much as to intimidate potential foes.
Following the display of military might, this week saw an already tense dispute with India grow even more so when Beijing released its statement on Wednesday. The document emphasized that so far China has exhibited a “high degree of restraint”, but that no country should “underestimate the Chinese government and people’s resolve to defend sovereignty of their territory.”
China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang explained the reason behind China’s statement and demands “was to make clear to the international community the facts of India’s incursion into Chinese territory, and to fully state the position of the Chinese government.”
Speaking on a China Central Television news segment over a banner which asked “how much more time will be given to India to ‘correct their mistake?’”, China Institute of International Studies Vice Dean Rong Ying said documents such as the one released Wednesday were not common, and that this situation was likely to drag on for some time, regardless of whether India withdrew the troops.
Regarding the drawing down of troops from a peak of more than 400 to the more recent number of 40 cited by China in the Wednesday paper, Rong played down the significance.
“The situation hasn’t really seen any change. While the number of troops has gone down, that just means that the confrontation between the two sides at the site has eased,” he said. “More importantly, even if Indian troops completely withdraw, afterward the problem will still be there. The investigation of the situation and how to resolve it, these issues still have to be dealt with. So I think it is very hard to predict, and there is no way to judge from the current state of affairs where we are, even more so to say we are already seeing the end.”
Despite the prominence given to this situation by China’s foreign ministry and press, Beijing has shown restraint in the language used, shying away from direct statements that use of force is imminent. China will also be eager to play up cooperation with India on the international stage when BRICS nations meet next month, and is hoping to come to an early agreement on the Regional Economic Comprehensive Partnership trade deal, which Beijing will need New Delhi’s help with. Not to mention, military action may be too risky for Xi Jinping to risk ahead of the upcoming Party Congress.
All these factors lead one to believe that China’s state media will continue to be careful not to raise expectations of use of force too high among its domestic audience. But with the endless barrage of images of armed forces ready for action, that may be hard to do.
If china & India occupide Bhutani land they should vacuat it. Respect their soverginity .
Media is hyping doklam issue . India and China have many border disputes and this is one of them. Both China and India should not be pressurised by western media local media and Pakistan to go even for limited war. This can be dangerous for both countries. And this is what others want to weaken both India and China. I think both leaders are mature enough to understand it. Both top level leaders should once for all sit and resolve total border issue by give and take and then work peacefully for their people uplift ment. China should understand India can be very useful partner to them than terrorist Pakistan and they can win world together.
You are a product of an oppressed society who has been raised to believe whatever the "STATE" chooses to convey.
As far as warnings go, here’s one from India : Halt your war mongering and control your colonial style expansionist mindset . Today’s world doesn’t work like that no matter how strident your state controlled media s ravings and rantings are. The Chinese are trying to be the Britain of the 19th century when there were no nuclear weapons or the kind of economic implications that are a reality today. China has been roundly condemned by the EU and is in trouble with half the western world despatching warships to South China sea, yet your communist politburo chooses to ignore the warning signs and continues to threat and grandstand.
If China still refuses to read the writing on the wall then it’s your funeral.
Bring it on , let’s see…..
India won’t back off an inch to let you guys build roads wherever the hell you want. You have 2 allies in this world (both rogue nations controlled by madmen… N.Korea and Pakistan)
India has the diplomatic and moral support of the civilized world.
Proceed at your own risk. Bluster and bravado don’t always work. Understood Mr.State bred geo politico analyst ?
It seems that Indians have confident that China won’t loose its billion dollar business with india and Chinese are also hesitating in the fear of loosing their business with India. India is looking for a good reason to decrease its trade deficeit with China and waiting for first hit by China. When China hit first and war begins, then India withdraw its military and stops business with China. Very cleaver strategy by India! Afterall Modi is a Gujarati Indian!
Zaher Sufi true they will in Pakistan
China could strike hard, but then have to face many geopolitical enemies. So it is better to give the Indians some face first.
Dont over estimate your power. If China want a war then the indian punch will be so hard so keepon dreaming..
Chinese have proven yet again that they are weak bullies with string voice… All the best PLA. You are welcome to taste spicy Indian curry…
Dear Chines. Follow the international.rules and law in SCSea and then teach the world. China has becoming much arrogant day by day. Remember Gr8 power comes with Gr8 Responsibility.
OmG � ur claimig a terroritory before 14 th century as urs . Why not you understand that Tibet is an independent country till 19th century? why not you understand that Whole of Indian Subcontinent is India till 19th century? we claimed those disbuted land since the lamd between India and Tibet , so we clearly know the line . Your the intruders so you dont knw .
China is not a friendly to all neighbor , better clean up all the mess in your country make it a safe place to live then claim others land .
Vinayak Kumar
Cpec in Indian territory
No harm in dreaming
Vinayak Kumar which one? The one with the likes of you in it?
FYI he’s pointing to a Bhutanese blogger. Goes to show your Indians attitude towards Bhutan.
Simple rule of thumb: Whatever China is, India is simply worse.
Vinayak Kumar Still pretending you Indians are speaking on Bhutan’s behalf? For all this time Bhutan never public confirmed it for you. Show me when Bhutan officially confirmed for you they did requested your army to enter on their behalf. Don’t conjur up fake news to suit your need. In fact many Bhutanese is complaing you are still having condescending attitude towards them in this episode and wants to conclude the border without giving any more care what you Indians think it as its Bhutan’s soverign right. Like I said, Limus test comes when border does concludes will the recorded docuemnts show the area was indeed to be Chinese long time ago but couldnt be implemented only because of you Inidans.
BTW, we know now what you were pulling in Nepal and Sri Lanka and sikkim, UN should send observers into Bhutan to ensure no more dirty Indian underhand dealings in Bhutan untl things are settled.
UNCLOS is a new convention in 1994 that drastically changed nations legitimate claims on the high seas, and China has dissagreements with interpretations of part of its articles, because it altered what would be legitimate claims of Chinese territory before UNCLOS. There’s plenty of nations that have problems with UNCLOS including US Russia Taiwan Japan just to name a significant few that are directly invovled. So far not a shot’s been fired (From Chinese, same cannot be said of Phillippines) and negotiations are ongoing. This has nothing to do with this episde involving India but just FYI.
CPEC is whoelly another issue involving broader India and China border dispute and China is just constructing in territroy it effectively controls just like India is doing in hers. Again nothing to do with this episode. Trying to muddy the water? Even if trying to drag it in it still does not hide the fact in this episode its Indians upping the ante by sending troops into territory the other side effectively controls. Any answers to that? Hm?
China is just a bigger and richer North Korea.
Shut up u nonsense crap of a belligerent and overconfident country.
Oh…. india entered in Doklam on request of Bhutan . Who r u to talk of legality when u urself have violated UNCLOS w.r.t. Philippines sovereignty?
Dear hypocritic chinese …By the way why are u constructing cpec in Indian territory in collusion with pakistan when u can’t simply resist the same treatment in Bhutanese territory?
See ; Wangcha Sangey blog
Friday, August 4, 2017
The Strategy behind India’s Doklam transgression: Here is the Ugliness.
China has given India enough time. All remaining Indian tresspassers should be arrested, charged and jailed, any equipment unconditionally confiscated.
China is on solid ground. The construction was notified 2 weeks in advance to India without India giving any objection (this crucial piece was omitted by most indian commentators, no surprise there). Even if India has concerns once construction began it should begin with estabilishing diplomatic contact on the issue, Instread India sent in troops to clearly none-Indian territroy without diplomacy, and want to engage in diplimacy while its troops remains. Clearly Indians are the ones at fault. Also if same principle is applied, China can send in troops into whole of south Tibet to halt any Indian construction, and the troops can remain there indefinetly until diplomacy is resolved. Does this work?
As for the bogus Indian claim its sending in troops on Bhutan’s behalf, can China now send in troops on Pakistan’s hehalf into disputed territory? Did Indians really thought it through before speaking something they will regret?
Also some background info, its now confirmed Bhutan have never exercised administrative rights to the area in question, and Bhutan never had maps of their territory prior to joint survey with China in 1980s. Also, Bhutan did not lay a formal claim to the disputed territory in question until the 14th (or was it 20th) round of talks, in year 2000, persumeably under Indian persuation. Now, this incident has spurred many Bhutan friends to want to conclude the border with China without anymore delay, which according to both sides the basic principle boundary was agreed to long ago, Bhutan was only holding back to due "indian sensitivities" and China, understand Bhutan’s unique "condition" with India, was not pressing for it. Now it seems Indians over played their hand and Bhutan no longer to be a pawn in Indian’s game against China. It will be interesting to see when the real settlement comes does the released document show the area in question was indeed slated to be Chinese long ago. Meanwhile, any Indian moves in Bhutan should be examined and observed carefully to see if they try something funny.
Doklam is not a significant issue in China and only western media and their agents in Indian media are making a big deal of it and stirring up tension.