India’s tactics ‘won’t help talks’
China not to concede being provoked: experts
Before the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting on Thursday to be attended by China and India, Indian troops in the border region continued with provocative actions against China, such as firing in the air, to increase leverage in its negotiations with China. But experts warned on Wednesday that this could make it difficult for the two sides to reach an agreement to de-escalate tensions, and would even spark a conflict before winter.
Chinese analysts said that Indian diplomats and the military are playing an old game – being tough and aggressive at the frontline but pragmatic at the negotiating table. To handle this, China is fully prepared for any possibility – reach an agreement with India to realize full disengagement, or prepare for battle if the negotiations collapse and India escalates the crisis.
The Chinese military and foreign ministry on Tuesday slammed Indian troops for firing first in the Monday border clash and illegally crossing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) again, which it said had destroyed tranquility on the China-India border since 1975, demanding India punish the personnel who fired the provocative shot and avoid similar incidents.
The Indian army’s firing of shots, the first time in more than four decades in a border region between China and India, is an extremely dangerous act, and broke the tacit understanding reached by both sides not to use firearms, experts said, noting that the risk of accidentally sparking another conflict is increasing.
Lin Minwang, deputy director at the Center for South Asian Studies at Fudan University, told the Global Times on Thursday that the risky moves on the frontline made by Indian troops will impact the negotiations between the two foreign ministers in Moscow. China will show the same attitude – simultaneously preparing for talks and a fight – rather than totally refusing negotiations.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the SCO foreign ministers’ meeting, will meet his counterparts, and attend a trilateral luncheon of Chinese, Russian and Indian foreign ministers.
To what extent the meetings in Moscow could help the de-escalation of the border crisis depends on the determination and strength of both sides, as well as the weather in the border region, because the winter season will be a huge challenge to troops on both sides in Ladakh, Lin said. China will not compromise on sovereignty, as it is being provoked, Lin noted.
India is playing an old game – being tough and aggressive at the frontline but pragmatic at the negotiating table. To handle this, China is fully prepared for any possibility – reach an agreement with India to realize full disengagement, or prepare for battle if the negotiations collapse and India escalates the crisis.