Hindustan Times (Lucknow)

India should not involve itself in two-front conflict with China, Pak

- Sutirtho Patranobis n letters@hindustant­imes.com

BEIJING: Chinese experts have warned India against “two-front conflict” with China and Pakistan, the latest in a series of belligeren­t statements that have appeared in the media on the month-long border standoff between the two countries.

In the last few days, the Chinese state media, which has aggressive­ly taken up the border impasse, has raked up the Kashmir dispute to send a message to India. Aside from the border spat with China, India was also embroiled an exchange of fire along the Kashmir border with Pakistan, the Global Times said on Monday.

“Both India and Pakistan accused each other of initiating the incident on Saturday that caused civilian deaths on both sides of their controlled border in Kashmir,” the newspaper said, quoting reports from India.

It would not be a good idea for India to open two fronts, it said, adding Indian troops that “entered Chinese territory” were yet to retreat to their side. “China has nothing to do with the situation in Kashmir, but it would be unwise for India to engage in two conflicts at the same time,” Lin Mingwang from Institute of Internatio­nal Studies at Shanghai’s Fudan University told Global Times.

This the second time in as many days that Chinese media tried to add a Kashmir dimension to the impasse in Doklam, a region located at the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan.

‘INDIA WILL BURN ITSELF IF IT USES TIBET CARD’

India will “burn” itself if it uses the “Tibet card” to exert pressure on China amid the military standoff in the Sikkim sector, Chinese state media added, referring to the hoisting of the Tibetan flag on the shore of a lake in Ladakh.

“It’s the first time the Tibetan exile administra­tion in northern India has flown the flag at this location,” Global Times said. “If New Delhi is pulling the strings of the Tibetan exiles’ political act of flag hoisting, it will only have burned itself. Both border issues and the Tibet question concern China’s core interests and China won’t yield to provocatio­ns.”

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