The US has slammed Chinese actions along the line of actual control with India and called Beijing’s actions as “disturbing behaviour”. The US said the clashes were a reminder of the threat that China posed whether in the South China Sea or on the borders with India.
Chinese Military Base In The Indian Ocean Near Maldives To Complete ‘String Of Pearls’ Around India?
Senior US official Alice Wells told reporters that the border skirmishes were “a reminder that Chinese hostility is not always just rhetorical. Whether it is in the South China Sea or along the border with India, we continue to see provocations and disturbing behaviour by China that poses questions about how Beijing seeks to use its growing power.”
Wells also said China’s behaviour was causing other countries to club together to strengthen the post Second World War economic order. She cited ASEAN, the trilateral partnership between India, the U.S. and Japan as well as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue with these countries and Australia.
Indonesia Opens Another Military Base at Natuna Islands To Counter Aggressive China
Galway valley in Aksai China has now become the latest flashpoint between India and China. The Indian Army deployed 250 soldiers in the Galwan Valley after reports emerged that Chinese were increasing the military build-up in the area.
The situation in Galwan Valley escalated after Chinese media accused India of building “illegal” defence facilities in the Galwan Valley region of the disputed Aksai Chin area, which is under Chinese control but claimed by India.
India and China have had a turbulent relationship as both nations fought a brief, but bloody war in 1962 and have been regularly involved in border disputes along the LaC as well as in the Indian Ocean.
Indian Army Emboldened By US-China Conflict; Beijing Warns Of Repercussions
The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long LaC, with China claiming the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. Both China and India consider the maintenance of peace and harmony to be vital as both nations find a solution to the border dispute.
Only a few years ago, the nuclear-armed countries were involved in the fiercest dispute since the 1960s, as soldiers of both countries were engaged in a 73-day standoff in Doklam. While the two countries have been largely peaceful since 2017, the recent flare-ups could be detrimental to the China-India relations.
