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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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HomeOpinionGlobal PrintHow India lined up US, Russia on its side of LAC and...

How India lined up US, Russia on its side of LAC and China was forced to return friendless

China is disengaging from the LAC, and also taking back the message that India has far more friends in the world today. The last 24 hours have truly been PM Modi’s.

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Chinese troops have reportedly begun to withdraw from the Galwan Valley and even the Pangong Tso in Ladakh Monday, hours after national security adviser Ajit Doval spoke to Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi Sunday, during which Doval is believed to have insisted on a “full and enduring restoration of peace and tranquility.”

According to reports, a three-kilometre buffer zone has been created between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh; both sides are moving tents, troops and vehicles back to their own side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC); the exercise is being verified by drones. At Pangong Tso, the withdrawal is still thin because the Galwan and Shyok rivers are in spate, but physical verification will also take place soon.

Fact remains, whether the full withdrawal process takes a few days or weeks or months, the Chinese side seems to have blinked. Two months after Chinese troops intruded across the LAC, they are going back, empty-handed.


Also read: PLA troops ‘completely move out’ of Galwan as India-China head towards total disengagement


The US steps in

The one thing the Chinese are surely taking back is the ill-will of a fellow Asian power, far poorer but strong in the knowledge that it has many more friends than Beijing does today.

Think about it. Who came down on China’s side as it decided to aggressively cross the LAC and decide it must take back territory it once owned during the Qing dynasty?

Even those most indebted to China, such as Laos (where the Chinese are building a high-speed railway to connect to China) and Djibouti (where the Chinese have built a military base), didn’t come out in open support of the dragon.

In contrast, India had lined up some of the world’s quietest as well as most voluble players, some of them powerful members of the United Nations Security Council.

The Americans were the most garrulous, of course, with US President Donald Trump saying last week that “China’s aggressive stance along the India-China border fits in with a larger pattern of Chinese aggression in other parts of the world…”.

Trump was right. Only last week, Russians and Chinese got into a social media spat when some Chinese media claimed ownership of Russia’s eastern city Vladivostok, saying it had once been part of the Qing dynasty’s Manchurian homeland but was annexed by Russia when China lost the Second Opium War to Britain and France in 1860.

Earlier, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had described the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as a “rogue actor” and accused the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of escalating “border tensions with India.”

Certainly, the US is having a massive tiff with China over trade and the fact that Beijing didn’t let on early about the coronavirus pandemic thereby causing untold harm to America – but the Ladakh border clash has been much more than a casualty.

So the US moved two aircraft carriers into the South China Sea Saturday, in what amounted to a significant show of strength, insisting on freedom of navigation. While Pompeo called external affairs minister S. Jaishankar, promising help.


Also read: It’s time for China, Pakistan, even India to rethink the fantasy Modi called expansionism


Russia steps in

As for the Russians, they agreed to speed up “certain missiles and bombs” during the recent visit of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to Moscow, when a full review of the bilateral defence relationship took place.

Significantly, Russia quietly turned down the Chinese request not to sell arms to India, said officials speaking on the condition of anonymity, even though Russia depends quite a bit on arms sales to China to shore up its own GDP. The CCP’s mouthpiece, People’s Daily, took to Facebook to send China’s message to Russia.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the decision to operationalise the India-Russia BrahMos missile.


Also read: Modi dares China, tells Indian Army ‘our enemies have seen your fire and fury’


A new ‘coalition of the willing’

Right through, South Block was reaching out to other key nations. From Japan (“Had a good talk with FS Shringla. Appreciated his briefing on the situation along LAC,” tweeted Japanese ambassador Satoshi Suzuki) to Australia, the world began to line up behind India.

Even Pakistan, China’s strategic ally and partner, refrained from taking advantage of the situation to open a second front.

Beijing is still claiming Galwan Valley, but even Wang Yi realises it cannot stand up to the combined might of the coalition of the willing that is ranged on the other side.

Certainly, the last 24 hours have belonged to PM Modi. He has successfully called China’s bluff by daring it to keep Indian territory. His comments on the 19 June all-party meeting, that “no one entered Indian territory, no posts were occupied” may still ring true.

In retrospect, it seems clear that when he spoke in Leh last Friday, Modi had already stitched up his partnerships so he could freely rail against the “era of expansionism,” a not-so-subtle allusion to China.

Certainly, the long haul to a full withdrawal has begun. It is likely India will now cement its new friendships with free trade agreements, including with the European Union and the US. Modi needs all the friends he can get if it wants to think of confronting China on a sustained basis — even at the cost of good ties with the RSS’ Swadeshi Jagran Manch.

The Ladakh crisis is a moment of reckoning all around. Besides invigorating old friendships and recasting India’s influence in the neighbourhood, Modi must reach out anew to the opposition at home. Foreign policy is far too risky a business to allow political divisions.

As for Rahul Gandhi, if he wants to become Congress president, he must learn to be more responsible. Attacking a duly elected prime minister on national security issues may get him some brownie points, but it is hardly the hallmark of a serious politician.

Views are personal.

This article has been updated to reflect changes.

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156 COMMENTS

  1. How pathetic andhbhakht how dare you call Syrian refugees jihadis when most of them are actually children,women and old people’s.also,west media despite dictatorial and right wing regime,always stood for democracy.even in russsia during Soviet times,there was zamikert.and if you mahapurush really want to accuse someone of terrorism and that’s you,wiki-violence in hinduism,wiki-religious violence in India and hinduism and terror by Paul marston-hudson.org

  2. Very juvenile assumptions. The author has first convinced herself of India’s strategic strength and global reach; and then started looking for tele tele signs of proof here and there to buttress her narratives.

  3. I find it difficult to understand the assessment of the writer that our relations with Russia on account of our military deals and US action in the South China Seas had any impact on China. It is yet a guess what our NSA in 2 hours discussion with Wang hi could have made China accelerate the withdrawal and de-escalation agreement made between the Generals of both sides. China is facing a big problem of dissidence domestically with a downturn in their economy due to Covid pandemic and probably other reasons. The capture of some of our territory at our borders would not seem to the Chinese as a big victory as those areas are more strategic than economically worthwhile. A probable guess is that our NSA may have carried a message on what was agreed between Xi and Modi in other economic issues between the two countries and to advice the PLA to withdraw NOW and postpone discussions on a permanent LOC line in eastern Ladakh area for a compressive discussion on “ give and take” on our borders

    • Laos did not support China! Did Bhutan came out with support of India? Japan & Australia are as much concerned as India on Chinese expansionism. I think, Indian media has become cautious in their criticism of government, knowing the consequences.

      • Did you see in the so called democracies of Europe, the press criticize their governments?? NEVER!! Despite Merkel giving refuge to Jihadis from Syria & elsewhere, the press kept mum or at least non critical!! In America, the press does criticize Trump but only because it has massive support of Jihadis & ultra leftists/communists!! Same is the case in India!!

        • You see jihadis everywhere andhbhakhts,and how dare you calling the Syrian refugees jihadis.do you know what you did,you have violated international laws and UNHCR provision.india has even gave Adnan Sami and many Pakistani citizenship,were was your opposition.and us and western media has guts that why they could target trump.basically western media is corporate,it basically supports those who enhance it capitalist interest.and if you are talking about terrorism,and muslims are not worldwide and even nationwide,columbaninterreligiousdialogue-all Muslims are not terrorists and all terrorists are not muslims,scroll.in-indian muslims are not terrorists.

  4. prime minister has done excellent work , it his oersonal effeort that issue could be resolved. claiming certail which might have been there , aquestion mark, is most idiotic in to days time . they wanted to show their muscle power to distract people attention from their local problem.
    i hope they stick to their words as they are very slippery people.

  5. Realistically, the US support was (unlike JFK’s) vague and muted. Trump even offered to be a referee, an outrageous injury from a ‘strategic ally’. Russia felt no guilt in telling Beijing that it has treaty obligations to India and besides, Moscow desperately needed to make those Mig and Sukhui sales, so ‘unlike 1971, we won’t be deploying forces on your western border.’ A similar Rafale-Sale linked sentiment of support was expressed from Paris. From elsewhere in the world, no big voices were heard (unless Australia is considered ‘big’).
    In the New Cold War situation, the frequently cited “China isolated’ argument sounds hollow, especially when one can easily Google the continuing and vastly favourable trade balances enjoyed by China (second-largest economy) worldwide, including India, despite China’s ‘shocking’ aggression.
    Some readers of ThePrint may also wonder if the lack of categorical support for Delhi is perhaps based on a tacit global consensus which country provoked the border embarrassment in the first place. Perhaps it was too premature and too impulsive, under the euphoria of My Map and “In the end, we always prevail.”

    • OK, our wishful thinking. Do you have guts to prove it by fighting a war with us? You have no backbone, guts or testosterone to venture into that exercise. You can only show off and think that we get scared. Those days are gone.

    • China should worry about the eroding value of its manufacturing that has powered its economy till now. Cheap labor from villages has steadily gotten expensive as China’s GDP has grown. CPC can only deny people so much by their authoritarian regime.

      China is simmering below. CPC knows it – that President Xi has been allowed to start “playing” 10-15 years too early is the best sign of the state of ‘controlled panic’ that exists in CPC.

      CPC wiil now have to radically transform or perish in a blaze…

  6. US and Russia will surely support if you by tons of arms from them. Look how many orders are released after the crisis. I am sure US, China and Russia together created this crisis prompted by the arms mafia behind.

  7. Pleasantly surprised to read sober and unbiased language from Jyoti Malhotra and that also in The Print. Possibly, but doubtful, that such sobriety can extend to The Print’s analysis of India Pak / Kashmir issues.

    • Sobriety for you is to convert defeat and incompetence into victory. China has read your mentality correctly, they will take more, little by little.

    • Lol I was thinking the same, I was reading this article.
      I came for a biased article, and all I got was a fair and neutral point of view.

  8. You are citing ‘spat’ between Chinese and Russians as a sign of Russian support? Our erstwhile friend is neutral and not at all supportive of our cause.
    None of our neighbours spoke in our support, none of the foreign countries, save for France, responded in any meaningful way. Our relationship with Americans are limited to sharing Intel.
    The real question is whether we lost territory to china or not? Will status quo ante be restored, or will this become the new normal?

    • Your analysis is correct.

      The answer to your question is this will become the new normal. China has spotted they can take little by little, Indian media will adjust the new reality for the public and even convert it to a victory, and make believe Modi is tough and has a secret plan (as Jyoti M has done here).

      Basically, Shah precipitated this change in the Chinese by revoking Article 370 and saying India will recapture Aksai Chin and PoK by force. India was playing a double game with Wuhan spirit and Quad. Wuhan spirit ended, Quad is nowhere, only we lost land. That is the net outcome of Modi and the dumb lot that guide him.

  9. Sure, one can see the glass as either half-full or half-empty.. but, remember Doklam?! We won the moral victory.. China got the ‘immoral’ one, and the plateau is now militarized. They’ve achieved their aims.

    This article also has some illogical statements. How does China now withdrawing mean that Modi was speaking the truth when he said they were not here in the first place?! Then why are they withdrawing, duhh?! Besides, even we are not going to be patrolling land that we always did.. so who’s victory is it anyway?!

    My take is that China did all this to get Modi to call Xi Jinping.. Ajit Doval’s call has served that purpose, and things are now moving.. but let’s wait before declaring it a victory.

    It’s critical that Rahul Gandhi keeps asking these questions so that Doklam is not repeated here, and the people of Ladakh don’t lose anymore grazing land to the Chinese – at least someone dares stand up for them! Else, the Chinese are just going to keep coming deeper and deeper. If Modi wants the opposition to back him, he mustn’t play games with them!

  10. Comm*nists main agenda is to impose their ideol*gy on others even knowing that this strategy is backfiring since day one. This is what Comm*nist China is doing and they will fail too.

  11. If diplomacy won the day always history would be written differently. If number and quality of friends won the day then again history would be written differently. Your intelligence is asleep for months and Chinese intrusion goes not only undetected but they also dig their heals in then you expect of all people the Hans to withdraw without a fight giving you a cakewalk!? Then you either are deluding yourself or you are some supernatural power to which why only the Indian Opposition even the great Xi, Putin and Trump have been woven into some trance. I can’t believe this. Rather will wait and see.

  12. Yes Nehru was not dull his response to China was Hindu chimes his bia China is not use medelling in middle east afganistan kore they are rascles midi is also trying useless and in democratic tactics you have seen silent on minorties mor so murders kashmir little democratic set up what was need to abrogate 350 what india has gained it has created Hatrid even in jimmu kashmir will rise again as it has been it is better to give us what was assured 70 years before make it certain kashmiri will fight the way five commences know as hagi group this will again come up both india and Pakistan should wait and wretch

    • LIAR!! What is Islam doing you pathological liars?? Where are Hindu minorities in Pakistan/Bangladesh??!! Tens of millions of Hindus killed by the EVIL Islam!! You are wild pigs & will remain so!!

  13. Yes, round 1 goes to Modi!
    But here and now is when the great game starts again! The world powers have stood by India for perhaps their own interests more than those of India! What price they demand in return is what must worry the People in Indian corridors of power!
    The economic and military gap between India and China is too wide to bridge on our own! Time for India to make the right corrections to enhance economic and military self reliance in the right sense! You cannot import 90% of military equipment and 90-95% of your oil demands and then hope to be holding all the cards! INTERESTING DAYS AHEAD!

  14. Mr Rahul G, for that matter, any opposition party leader or party or member should not use National security matters
    for any political purpose. That itself will endanger the Morale of the Fighting, Forces considering the mutipronged social
    media is like a VIRUS of it’s own kind which conincingly converts FAKE NEWS to Reality & vice versa. This is my personal opinion
    only.

  15. It is not yet a Chinese “misadventure”

    So far, China has gained many things:

    (1) it has gained strategic Indian territory which it has NOT relinquished,

    (2) flexed its muscles to an International Audience to cut India down to size,

    (3) showed the restive Chinese that Xi is still Emperor and carrying on the tradition of Mao,

    (4) asserted its “Super Power” Status by acting with Unipolar Exceptionalism,

    (5) exposed India’s military inadequacies,

    (6) is testing whether India is still as rape-able as it always was and will capitulate territory to China to get on with its Government sans Governance preoccupation of stealing from some for the benefit of others on the basis of Caste, Tribe, Religion, Gender, Language, Geography and proximity to power and

    (7) has focused its Military on prepardeness and mobilization for the aggrandizement that it had begun to lay plans for under Mao.

    It remains to be seen whether the Doval-Wang talks actually produce a Chinese withdrawal or, whether, in order to propagate the myth of “Modi-Doval shining” without committing the Armed Forces, while taking advantage of an obsequious military, the Indian Government colludes with China to, again, cede Indian territory while claiming a Chinese retreat from Indian territory through cover ups for which every Indian Government from Nehru to Modi is notorious.

    In India, the truth will surface in shorter time than during earlier eras due to Social Media and leaks of military information by patriotic soldiers on the ground.

    • No doubt that the Chinese behaviour caught India by surprise. Even brigands don’t harm people, when they are down, but the Chinese spread the CCP virus across the globe and started an aggressive campaign to grab territory across the world- catching everyone, for nobody expected this barbaric behaviour.

      But you got the rest of it all wrong. It was China’s turn to be surprised by the amount of support India got and the huge anti-Chinese feelings this incident has evoked across the globe, after they spread the CCP virus. If as you said the Chinese are so “powerful’ why did they stop? Why did their nether regions freeze? They realised their fancy bunch of commisars are only good for strutting around at parades and torturing civilians. They can’t do anything else and shat in their pants when unarmed Indian soldiers broke their necks.

      Communists like you who dream of a “revolution” can keep dreaming like Shekchilli, even if you dream of some imposter Communists, which the Chinese CCP certainly are- will come and liberate you. They are dead and will be gone like the Dodo.

      • China still holds all the aces. Global criticism has not stopped them from squeezing Hong Kong. If they stop squeezing India, it’s because they’ve achieved their aims, not because of global criticism. A global alliance may cause China to back off, but that’s only in the long term.

      • I’m sorry, but, by “CCP virus”, are you referring to Chinese influence or the coronavirus? I’m really hoping it’s the former.

      • What is the amount of support India got ? Everyone is silent. Not a single condemnation. Hindus like you are deluded. Get real, Hindus like Modi are taking India down.

    • Sad to see Jyoti Malhotra toeing the official line as many other journalists are in India.

      As a sceptical Ghalib might say ‘ hame maloom hai Jannat ki haqeeqat lekin, dil ko khush rakhne ke liye ye khayal accha hai ‘ ( we are aware of the reality of paradise, nevertheless it is a nice thought to keep our hearts happy )

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