BEIJING: The harshly worded statement issued by the Chinese government on China and India failing to reach an agreement during their latest round of corps commander-level talks showed China’s subtle change of attitude toward India, and the country’s staunch determination to protect its territorial and sovereign integrity, said analysts.
Observers also noted that India has been triggering new incidents along the eastern section of the border recently. Chinese experts have warned of the risks of a new conflict, saying that China should not only refuse to give in to India’s arrogant demands at the negotiating table, but also be prepared to defend against new Indian military aggression.
As for the nature of the “unreasonable” and “unrealistic” demands, Lin Minwang, professor with the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times that India had proposed returning to the pre-April 2020 positions in the western section along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which Lin said is totally unreasonable for China.
“Why doesn’t India ask to throw the border situation back to after the 1962 China-India war?” Lin asked. Where did India, which is suffering from a sluggish economy and lingering coronavirus situation, find the strength to challenge China? Lin believed that India sees the winds blowing in its favor with China locked in a serious confrontation with the US. Lin said the strongly worded Chinese statement is also straightforward, and warns India not to misjudge the situation. also showed a subtle change in China’s attitude toward India, remarked Lin, adding that it also put China’s stance on safeguarding territory and security on the table.
Due to India’s aggression on Chinese land, China and India have been engaged in a border confrontation in the western section of the two countries’ border since May 2020, highlighted by a clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, leading to 20 deaths on the Indian side and four on the Chinese side. After many rounds of military and diplomatic talks over the past year aimed at resolving the issue, some achievements were occasionally reached, including the disengagement in locations such as the Pangong Lake.
–The Daily Mail-Global Times news exchange item
