China continues to test India's patience without provoking war

By Lt General Dr Mohan Bhandari (Retired)

The standoff between Indian and Chinese soldiers has been continuing for the last three weeks in general areas of Pagong Tso, Galwan Valley, Demchok & Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) in Eastern Ladakh region.

After Doklam, this has become the biggest irritant to India. Imagine China, on one hand, having captured illegally Indian territory, comprising 37,244 sq km in Aksai Chin in 50s and obtained Shakshagm Valley (north of Siachen glacier) of J&K approx.4,000 sq kms as a free gift from Pakistan in 1963, claiming areas in Barahoti (Uttarakhand) & entire Arunachal Pradesh (erstwhile NEFA) of 90,000 sq kms, on the other, keeps on intruding all over Indian territory at its whims & fancies.

China can do anything, construct any road/infrastructure opposite legitimate Indian deployments but objects to any Indian construction activity very much within its territory. The present turn of events started on China’s strong objection to roads being constructed by India around Fingers (Pangong Tso Area) & Tangshe-Shyok-DBO. Similar type of hostile Chinese activity has taken place around Naku La, Sikkim.

Very recently, China had been instrumental in instigating Nepal to raise the non-issue of Kalapani. This fell flat on their faces as the proposal of seeking approval of a revised and concocted boundary map was not passed by Nepalese Parliament. Further, Dragon’s constant opposition to any constructive international move made by India in the last 60 years has made it a subject of ‘attitudinal & behavioural study’.

Why does China behave the way it does?

China is in search for its great power status seeking supremacy at regional & international levels. This state of mind has generated avoidable problems in the international system as China has striven hard to overturn well accepted norms of international order.

Its choosy approach to abide by international law, treaties, customs, logic, norms & understandings has cast a dark shadow on the behavioural pattern. Can China be called a responsible power?

Can Middle Kingdom do no wrong? China wants absolute centrality in the overall scheme of universe, thus, claiming to become its best repository. China wants all the best territories within its boundary. To do all this, it continues to test limits of a neighbour’s power without provoking war. So, arrogance & total unconcern for others remains its fundamental policy. International order is subservient to the Middle Kingdom. CCP issues directives on this thinking process.

To quote Sun Tzu: “All warfare is based on deception.” Therefore, China treats outbreak of Wuhan virus a ‘are by other means’ - so no one in the world should mind the deception.

While no bullets having been fired on the Sino-Indian border since 1967, a number of border protocols have been signed between both India and China as border mechanism to settle border issues as there has been no demarcation of boundaries. Even after such confidence-building measures, People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the armed forces of the People’s Republic of China, continues to create undue tensions at the Sino-Indian border on explicit directions of Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The above is a direct pointer to the fact that China moves relentlessly in its efforts to succeed the US as the global hegemon within the next 10-15 years by establishing total world supremacy on issues, including political, economic, military, social and cultural.

The US has broken all connections with WHO, in view of the death of more than

1 lakh citizens due to the Wuhan virus spread by China. Trump has also put an end to autonomous status of Hong Kong and signed a number of sanctions against China/Chinese staying within the US territory. Other countries too are likely to follow suit.

SO NOW WE KNOW AS TO WHY CHINA BEHAVES THE WAY IT DOES !

(Dr. Mohan Bhandari is the author of books such as ‘Solving Kashmir’, and was the chairman of the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission post his retirement.)