The Ministry of External Affairs has rightly and firmly asserted that China has no locus-standi in the Union Territory of Ladakh and the state of Arunachal Pradesh. These are an integral part of India and the development of infrastructure there is beyond the domain of Chinese concern. This strong and terse statement from MEA was the need of the hour.
Chinese ambitions and her self assessment have been bloated because her small and weak neighbours have surrendered to the Chinese misadventures as they had no other option in the changing world order. America and Russia are no longer strong enough to take on China directly. They have not been used to doing so in the past also. America has always been away from the main theatre of war. Russia has never joined a war on its own in the last century with a major power. She has joined only after she has been forced to do so. The whole of Europe was emasculated after the Second World War and it is afraid of looking at its own sword.
This gave China an ample opportunity to nurse and nurture its illogical military and power ambitions. It could become powerful taking advantage of the rivalry of America and Russia. In the sixties of the last century, America started supporting China to weaken Russia. This led to the rise of China as a power in Asia. China does not have the luggage of liberalism and democracy to carry and its one party dictatorial set up gave it leverage over other powers of Asia, particularly India. China's One Belt One Road policy is a tool to further her disguised economic and political imperialism. India refused to toe the Chinese line and it was quite natural.
China has heavily funded Pakistan and has always used it against India. Funding of Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Maldives have been done with the intent to encircle India. The most alarming is the increasing Chinese interest and interference in the Indian Ocean which has so far been an open sea free from militarization. It is now under Chinese threat. China has already converted the South China Sea, a vast expanse of more than 96 lakh sq. K. M. , and an important trade route, into an area of Chinese influence.
China was going slow on Indian borders as she believed that she will inch her way into the Indian territory silently. This game-plan went wrong as our policy with China started changing since the onset of the second decade of this century and caught momentum in the last few years. Now the Chinese design of dominating South Asia has hit a roadblock as India has started reacting swiftly and boldly. India's decision to supply a submarine to Myanmar has to be seen in this light. The bold decision of the Indian govt. would win her friends, particularly from those countries, who have been on the receiving end of Chinese molestation. India will have to catch up in naval presence also wherever China is, particularly in the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and South China Sea.
The Indian response to the policy statement of China, which tried to browbeat India, must have stunned them. India is dealing with China the way it deals with Pakistan. This is a message to the likes of Farookh Abdullah, who have recently changed their mentor. Such people must be wondering whether their days of arm-twisting are over.
The writer is Registrar, Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribag and a passionate writer. The views expressed in the article are his own.