China has locked horns with India on the Doklam Plateau for the past month with the intention of taking over the narrow area that connects India’s northeastern states from the rest of the country. Chinese forces have increased their presence near India’s borders with Bhutan, China itself, Nepal and Sikkim in the north and with Bangladesh in the south, and India has responded by reinforcing its border posts.
This confrontation is causing concern not only in the already tense region of South Asia but around the world.
Remembering its defeat in 1962 by China in a previous border dispute, India has flexed its muscles while pursuing the “Modi doctrine”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy encompasses muscular and even offensive policy options in order to protect India’s national interests, sovereignty, territorial integrity and peace and security.
The entire world including China is anxious about the future course of Sino-Indian relations.
China is aware that India today is not what it was in 1962 because of its advanced military power. China will encounter stiff resistance from Indian forces if it decides to wage a limited war with India around Doklam. Chinese forces will face logistical hardships due to their distance from their supply bases and might also find themselves encircled by Indian forces on three sides, whose supplies are readily available from military base stations. Furthermore, the Indian Army is well trained to wage mountain warfare.
Global opinion, particularly that of the United States, Russia, Britain, Japan, South Korea, and several Southeast Asian states does not support the rising Chinese expansionist aspirations in the Asia-Pacific region, the South China Sea, Central Asia, West Asia and Africa. The Belt and Road Initiative is also of concern. Though China claims to pursue peaceful goals, its foreign policy is diametrically opposed to its stated position, as evidenced by its threat to India’s Doklam area.
But will it be an easy course for Beijing? Although India may find it difficult to fight an all-out war with China, it is certainly capable of wounding China’s body politic. Beijing might be wise to reconsider before it launches an offensive against India.
Koh Jek Siew Just look at their facial features.,,,,,,,,,,ha ha acording to your logic ..japan taiwan malasiya indonasia bhutan sikkem can claim on china ..funny
Koh Jek Siew I would strongly advise you to head over to the nearest museum and universities..India controled vast tracts of China up to Ganxu..just saying’ if you are going to use history to claim territories that belong to other nations, China is in for a rude awakening..about damn time
Koh Jek Siew LOL so you base your claims on what? Information that is publicly available…allow me to direct you to some of the best museums in China..there are enough historical artifacts and even stupas containing edicts as well as treaties with han Chinese granting various indian kings tracts of land in mainland China.
India has so far not dreamed the distant dream and claimed that it wanted one India and all the territories annexed since the time of Chandragupta maurya to be returned to it..but I would strongly encourage the indian government to start with Tibet, lodge a formal claim both on historical and religious grounds..
I assume you would not be claiming that buddhism originated in China as a counter? It originated in India and therefore all regions that practise indian religions should belong to India which is just about as logical as your claim that "500 years ago colonial powers tore up china and we want it back"
Koh Jek Siew Allow me to correct you, it is China that has taken a misstep, in one go it has managed to alienate both India and Bhutan in one go. Furthermore, China needs India for its one road program to work,where as India does not need China.
All that India has to do is to file a claim in the internaitonal court and the one belt program will lose any legal protection and credibility it might have got. Moreover, it was China that started this mess and as a result has riled up India and Bhutan to such an extent that China need not expect a friendly India or a friendly Bhutan.
This is not a zero sum game but as an Indian, allow me to thank China for making this moronic move, which has resulted in removing the blinkers from the Indian establishment and their wrong view that China is our friend..no more, either you are with us or against us and it is obvious that China never was and is most certainly no friend of India..we have taken note of the same and will respond in kind..
Koh Jek Siew I could point to a million bloggers on weibo located in China who would like nothing better than to overthrow the totalitarian regime there..so ? As for the bhutanese blogger, there are many more who are extremely critical of China and would like China to withdraw from Doklam right away..so using the logic in your comment, does that mean that China will withdraw right away?
Koh Jek Siew Sorry I am supposed to provide the document..lol, would suggest that you ask the Chinese govt to hand over their copy..you can bet that the chinese spies would have provided the CPC with an exact copy of the said agreement between India and Bhutan. I would aslo revert you to the latest batch of communiques between Bhutan and India, their request for help, which was communicated via their ambassador to the MEA and to the PM directly.
In future, would sugges tthat you do some research before slamming others opinions down…your current situation is just the same as that of China, both ludicrous and insensible, but hey, it always pays to do the research.
Moving on, there are two agreements to this effect, signed between China and Bhutan which China has willfully violated..these treaties/ agreements are internattional treaties between two soverign nations and therefore can be enforced by the international court of law, providing China changes its tune and starts respecting international laws and abides by the same