New Delhi: India isn’t too perturbed over the recent spate of tense incidents between its security forces and the Chinese military near the Line of Actual Control (LAC), even as it is unlikely to change its stance on including Taiwan in the World Health Organization’s top decision-making body, ThePrint has learnt.
According to a top diplomatic source, “usual” border tensions will continue between the two sides until the LAC is defined. The events over the last weekend have come as China is taking advantage of the coronavirus distraction in the region.
“Unless the LAC is defined officially, these kinds of scuffles will happen. There are local-level mechanisms in place to mitigate such matters. Such scuffles usually break out in the spring and summer seasons as the snow on these regions melts and both sides start to demarcate their own versions of the LAC,” a top diplomatic source told ThePrint.
Tensions between India and China flared up once again on the border last weekend as soldiers on both sides resorted to “exchanging blows” in Ladakh and Sikkim regions. On Sunday, certain unconfirmed reports came to light about tensions building up in the Ladakh region after two Chinese choppers were spotted close to the LAC, which led the Indian Air Force (IAF) to rush in its jets. This later turned out to be regular sorties of IAF’s frontline fighter jet Su-30.
“The LAC is a question that comes up in every high-level meeting and there is an understanding between both sides that unless it is clearly defined and demarcated such scuffles at the ground level will take place. China also knows it but they are just taking advantage of the current distraction that India is having with the pandemic. They will not escalate or intensify it,” the source added.
According to sources, China is following this “pattern” with not just India but with the Philippines, Vietnam and Japan by ratcheting up tensions in the South China Sea even as these countries battle the pandemic, which first broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan last year.
“Such border face-offs have been happening earlier also and these will continue. This is nothing new. There is no stand-off as of now as it has been mitigated. It will be immature to see every border incident as another Doklam,” said S.L. Narasimhan, a member of the National Security Advisory Board.
India and China had a prolonged military standoff in the tri-junction area near Bhutan’s Doklam in 2017.
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No change in stance on Taiwan
Amid these tensions, international pressure has been also mounting on India, particularly from the US, to recognise Taiwan’s older status as an ‘observer’ in the WHO’s main decision-making body, the World Health Assembly (WHA).
With New Delhi set to assume the chairmanship of the WHA by the end of May, the US has been nudging India to take Taiwan on board of the body that President Donald Trump has called China’s “PR agency”.
“India at no cost and under no pressure from anyone will change its fundamental policy on Taiwan. This is something you can never do under pressure or anything. This is out of question,” said a second source, who didn’t wish to be named.
India has always recognised Taiwan to be part of China under the ‘One China’ policy. After snapping ties with Taiwan in 1949, India did not change its policy even after the 1962 India-China war.
According to Narasimhan, “As of now we only have trade relations with Taiwan. Any future course of action is for the government to decide.”
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Nobody is asking to succumb to US pressure rather just think that it is in the interest of india to give a blow to china….They have violated our territorial integrity several times and will also continue to do so …..Can’t we just vote to make taiwan a representaive in WHA….This balancing diplomacy must stop.
China ka waat laga doh support taiwan
You should show the old speed of PM Modi how aggressive he was in his speech about China, if India support China this time, 100% Modi was false with his ambition and fooled Indians
He and his party is fooling the nation like congress and other political parties in different states.
Brainwashing the youth and nation like moulvis do in Islam.
Else he could have taken a decision against China post Dokalam incident.
He and his party is fooling the nation like congress and other political parties in different states.
Brainwashing the youth and nation like moulvis do in Islam.
Else he could have taken a decision against China post Dokalam incident.
India cannot call itself a global leader when doesn’t act like one. China undermines India in every step of the way and India is proud that it didn’t change its stance even after 1962 war?! India needs to grow some *****. It doesn’t have to act under pressure from anyone but should pursue Taiwan and Tibet cause for India’s own interests. STOP acting like a coward.
I can see your fraustation of not getting India stand by your geopolitical views. But you have to understand that the unlike the US, India doesn’t consider a nation as an enemy just because it’s a communist one. And it’s the position of the US as a global leader under threat due to China’s rise. Not India’s. Unknown to the west the way we see our neighbouring and friendly countries are a different to that in west. We don’t see others as a lesser beings than us. ( Unlike your view of the western supremacy) . We also consider our historical factions before making a decision. Which may not be as relevent in the case of US as well , it hasn’t much.
Don’t mislead through this article, this is not 1962, and Indians are not off guard. China has not done an inch of favor and Chinese threatening positioning is continuing. This article is soft on China due to commie bonhomie.
India need to fight with China if it want to play in the big boys league
India and USA now strategic Partner
“When Elephants Fight It Is The Grass That Suffers”
Modi riding on Trump shoulders want to build his fake Image. Fake Friends are like SHADOWS, they follow you in the sun but leave you in DARK.
Did you even read the article? Go wash your face and your hands. Then read bit slowly and try to understand what is written.
Such a comment is not surprising.
The cautious approach of Indian Govt & media is quite astounding………….even a lay man can see China is continuously bullying India but India media itself covers Chinese transgressions by calling the land as disputed territory………If India had ever followed the same Gentleman approach with Pakistan perhaps Kashmir dispute would have been resolved decades earlier!!!
The One China policy is a product of the Nehruvian era and must be consigned to the dustbin of history.
The 21st century calls for a robust policy regarding China which prioritizes Indian interests and safeguards them. China has been responsible for repeatedly bringing up the Kashmir issue in the UN Security Council. Also, it has repeatedly stalled India’s efforts to get more Pakistan based terrorists blacklisted by the UN. On every single issue of importance, be it membership of the NSG or of the UNSC, it has acted against Indian interests.
The only way for India to counter this is to have an aggressive China policy wherein both Taiwan and Tibet are recognized as independent nations with whom India has full diplomatic relations.
The problem is that China today is many times more powerful than it was during Nehru’s time.
It’s not the pressure from the US, but it’s also in the interest of India to put pressure on China. Are you getting NSG membership, UNSC blacklisting of Masood Azhar. I fail to understand why some Indians are so delusional that they start pretending their own problems as others problems.