Tabnak – China and India, two great powers with always uneasy relationship are once again headed toward a confrontation as their relations have been greatly soured over a disputed area. In a latest development, Beijing has warned Delhi over the possibility of an "all-out confrontation.”
According to a report published by RT, China has reiterated its calls for India to withdraw troops from a disputed territory in the Himalayan Mountains, to avoid an "escalation of the situation." It comes after China recently staged live-fire drills in the region.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang urged India to withdraw its troops from the area near the Chinese, Indian and Bhutanese borders.
"We have stated many times that we hope the Indian side will get a clear understanding of the situation (and) immediately take measures to withdraw the troops that illegally crossed the border back to the Indian side of the border,” Lu said. He went on to state that Indian troops must withdraw before any talks can take place over the disputed territory.
Meanwhile, according to The Newsweek, the ruling Communist Party of China has issued a stern warning to India. After accusing Indian troops of crossing over the disputed Sikkim border last month, Chinese Communist Party outlet Global Times published a commentary Tuesday urging restraint by both belligerents, but warning that China was prepared to engage India in a battle for the contested land.
The piece chalked up the conflict to a greater competition for economic and political dominance between the two leading Asian powers and said that Beijing would amass troops and armaments at the border in anticipation for what could turn into an all-out war.
The current standoff is in the southernmost part of Tibet in an area also claimed by Indian ally Bhutan. According to The Washington Post, although China and Bhutan have been negotiating the precise border for decades without serious incident, the tiny Himalayan kingdom turned this time to help from India, which sent troops across the border from the northeastern state of Sikkim.
China retaliated by closing a nearby mountain pass that Indian pilgrims use to reach Mount Kailash, a sacred Hindu and Buddhist site in Tibet. China’s foreign ministry has also presented to reporters historical documents that it says prove China’s claims to the plateau.
Although the Doklam Plateau is not part of Indian territory, New Delhi has been particularly sensitive to Chinese building activity in a region with strategic significance.
However, about the prospect of the current dispute, The Diplomat writs that "if the question is whether India will go to war with China, my answer is a sound "no.””
According to the author, the reasons go beyond strategic calculations, such as strength and numbers of forces and weapons. In other words, cognizance of pure military strength and weakness is not the primary force that stops New Delhi from firing the first bullet against its enemy. It is the structure of the government, and concerns of leaders about the domestic constituency that holds back a forward move.
