THE INDIAN EXPRESS

“Indian Resistance to China’s Expansionism Would Be a Definitive Moment in Asia’s Geopolitical Evolution,” is an opinion piece written by APLN member C. Raja Mohan with The Indian Express on June 30th, 2020. He states that the potential direction of the Sino-Indian relationship is likely to depend on how the current military confrontation in Ladakh is resolved. He believes that India should focus on short-term goals to stand its ground and ensure defense cooperation with partners. Learn more.

“There is a general consensus in Delhi that the Galwan encounter has produced a discontinuity in India’s China policy. Sceptics might say such generalisations made in the aftermath of a bloody encounter tend to overstate the prospects of change. They would add that structural constraints would limit dramatic changes in policy once the heat of the moment dissipates.

This emphasis on inertia must be set against reality that the Galwan clash comes amidst the deepening crisis in bilateral relations over the last decade. Stalled boundary talks, a widening trade deficit, the clash of national interests in the region, and Chinese opposition to India’s global aspirations have together strained Sino-Indian relations. Galwan is the last straw, the argument goes, that broke the camel’s back.”

Image: C R Sasikumar.