Author: M. Taylor Fravel
Affiliation: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA, USA
Organization/Publisher: Foreign Affairs
Date/Place: June 26, 2020/ USA
Type of Literature: Article
Word Count: 1879
Link: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/china/2020-06-26/chinas-sovereignty-obsession
Keywords: Sovereignty, Galwan valley, India, China.
Brief:
The article talks about the latest clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers at the Galwan valley, a remote part of the border between the two countries. The author while referring to the June 15 clash also discusses the long standing and often recurring border disputes between India and China. Although border standoffs have occurred in the past in 2013, 2014 and the famous Doklam clash in 2017, yet the June 15 incident would be considered the most serious among all, killing 20 Indian soldiers and thus marking the first deaths in 45 years on the long-disputed boundary. Both parties have pointed fingers at each other, with India claiming Chinese movements along its borders, while China reciprocating the move as a precaution against Indian troops advancing in the region. This cannot be looked at as an exclusive issue, rather it has several underpinnings from the past. Xi Jinping’s accession to national and international politics started a debate on China’s sovereignty. Be it a military base in the South China Sea, territorial disputes with Japan for East China Sea, or tightening its grip over Hong Kong, the Chinese strongman has shown an uncompromised behaviour as far as territorial issues are concerned. The latest clash with India has undermined the Indo-China relations, while suggesting India’s close ties with Washington as a balancing move. With domestic sentiments in India strongly against China, the decades long bilateral trade ties between the two giant economies are under serious strain.
By: Usman Khan Pathan, CIGA Research Associate
