Since the occupation of Tibet, China has generally been seen as a military expansionist country and the recent border skirmishes it ignited along its borders of India is a living proof of the Chinese mindset, reported Voices Against Autocracy.
Rather than putting “Wolf Warriors” to defend China’s aggressive expansionist policies, China should change its mindset and learn to respect the territorial integrity of other countries.
Days after Chinese President Xi Jinping met People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers stationed at the India-China border in the name of “inspecting their combat readiness,” the principal spokesperson of the US State Department said in an interview that Washinton opposes any “unilateral attempts” and any incursions across the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Although the Chinese President was using this ploy as a tool of posturing to convey India about its military readiness and capabilities, it boomeranged, reported Voices Against Autocracy.
Vedant Patel, Spokesperson of the US State Department was the first to react sharply saying “We oppose any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by incursion, military or civilian, across the border or the established LAC.”
The US reaction to Xi’s visit to the Indo-China border is not the only reaction which has come against China’s expansionism in recent times, reported Voices Against Autocracy.
Former Chief of the Indian Army MM Naravane mentioned that the Chinese momentum of building border villages has increased.
“Who are these villages meant for? Because there are no Tibetans there. They (village houses) look like villas,” he said.
He also warned that if China would ever prefer to exercise military options to resolve its border dispute with India rather than peaceful dialogue and diplomacy, it would have to incur a very high cost, reported Voices Against Autocracy.
China underestimated India while it tried its expansionist moves in Doklam in 2017 near a tri-junction on India- China- Bhutan border closer to the Indian state of Sikkim. China again tried the same tactics in the Galwan Valley (2020-2021), a valley of the Galwan river flowing from Aksai Chin to the Union Territory of Ladakh.
China has been doing a lot of development near the Doklam region and Ladakh sector unilaterally not paying any attention to the territorial integrity of the neighbouring countries, reported Voices Against Autocracy.
Nevertheless, India’s prompt and strong interventions in these expansionist moves stopped China from usurping the areas on which it never had any locus standi. But still, in every such attempt, China never goes back to its original point and keeps a part of the forward territories of the neighbouring countries or disputed areas. This is what is described as ‘Salami Slicing.’
It is not only the US which has pointed out Chinese expansionism in no uncertain terms but many other countries in the world find that China’s words do not match their deeds. It is pointed out that China’s military expansionism and use of brute state power to silence people and suppress their aspirations and criticism is something which could neither be covered up nor washed away.
It is visible from Xinxiang and Tibet to the South China Sea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Chinese state continues to flex its muscles. The actual behaviour of China is highly disappointing seen against its positive propaganda as part of its image-building exercises, reported Voices Against Autocracy.
It is not India alone, but in the case of many other countries also China is criticized for its expansionism. For quite some time Japan has been objecting to China’s expansionist activities in the East China Sea (ECS).
China has competing claims with Japan on a small group of islands called Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in China. So is the case in the South China Sea where China is pursuing an aggressive policy and giving birth to maritime disputes. the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia also lay claim.
The countries in the SCS region are also becoming victims of China’s increased muscle flexing and claims that it has built a series of artificial islands capable of supporting military operations despite overlapping claims of other countries in the region, reported Voices Against Autocracy.
Keeping this in view, the US has reaffirmed its commitment to its Indo-Pacific treaty allies Australia, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines and Thailand.
The recent drama of China in the case of Taiwan also indicates China’s intent of going up to any extent for claiming it as part of its territory against the will of the Taiwanese people.
It engaged in intense military exercises on both sides of the Taiwan Strait not only to threaten Taiwan but also others who favour the democratic aspirations of the people of Taiwan.