At long last, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has started retreating from Ladakh. But it doesn’t end our worries as almost simultaneous to the pull back, Beijing has claimed territory deep inside eastern Bhutan as their own. It is certain that the recent development will not please New Delhi. If China manages to grab the said territory, the country will reach closer to the Arunachal Pradesh border. So the two-hour-long telephonic conversation between India and China which paved way for the pull back of Chinese troops from Galwan valley, appeared to be less productive now. The recent stand taken by China is indicative that border row between the two countries is very much alive and the conflict may turn volatile at any time.
According to former chief of British Secret Service MI6 John Sawers, China’s action in Ladakh was clearly an attempt to intimidate India. The dragon is not in favour of India becoming too friendly with United States of America (USA) and other western countries. However, it is apprehensive of India, US, Australia and Japan and adopting a common approach against Beijing as such an axis will definitely bury the Chinese dream of neo-expansionism. During his recent visit to Ladakh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also warned our northern neighbour against such misadventure. The Prime Minister categorically stated that in today’s world there is no place for expansionism attitude. Moreover, present day Chinese rulers should remember that one of the main pledges of the Panchsheel Treaty is to respect sovereignty of other countries. It is time for China to explain to the world whether the country still believes and follows the five principles of peaceful coexistence that underline the Panchsheel Treaty.
Like India, Chinese civilisation is ancient too, and together contributed significantly in creating a peaceful world. But at present, it seems that China has deviated from its age-old values and started focusing more on muscle power. China’s recent actions in Hong Kong, imposition of sanction against Australia, sinking of Vietnamese fishing boats in South China Sea, Galwan intrusion and finally the demand on Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary, all stands as a testimony to this fact. The developments indicate that China is now ready to go to any extent to establish its hegemony over other nations. In its pursuit for supremacy, China knows that if it can tame India, the country will remain unchallenged at least in Asia. Its ambitious projects like China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will be implemented smoothly. But in today’s world, intimidation is a wrong strategy to adopt in-order to garner support. At this present age, all major countries are equally powerful. Further, the world order today does not sanction conquering of other’s land at will. So there is a need for China to redraw its strategy. Beyond doubt, the country has made tremendous progress during the last few decades and at present, it is the manufacturing hub of the world. Any disturbances inside China definitely affects international trade as was proven during Covid-19 pandemic. So China should consolidate its position by making countries dependent on it, not by showing the ugly face of strength.