China’s new provoking statement: New stand on Ladakh as UT?
China is intent on burning bridges, now China is provocating India by making false, baseless and completely belligerent remarks as China on Tuesday said it does not recognize the “illegally” constituted Ladakh Union territory, also the Chines Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Webin opposed infrastructure development on border areas. Through this comments China once again played a cheap shot against India at the time when already there is much heated situation at LAC, there is not an iota of doubt that the comment made by Chinese spokesperson is wrong of multiple fronts. Amid the prevailing border tension between India and China the instant statement made by Chinese side is just a provocative remark.
“China does not recognize the so-called Union Territory of Ladakh illegally established by India, and opposes infrastructure construction in disputed border areas for military control purposes,” spokesperson Wang said while commenting on India’s move to build roads along the border areas. He also said “We are also opposed to infrastructure construction aimed at military acquisition and control in the disputed border areas”
The statement holds no ground as it is the internal matter of India. It may be recalled that Ladakh used to be a part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir till 2019. ON August 5, last year, Indian government scrapped the Article 370 and revoked the special status of Jammu & Kashmir and created two new Union Territories named Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. In the recent past, China never completely oppose this development at any juncture as Pakistan does it from United Nation to other platforms but now China is making such statement due ongoing clashes between both the nations at border area and continuous standoff for more than 4 months now. It is not wrong to say that China is becoming Pakistan’s mouthpiece against India.
After an ongoing long-lasting tension, first time both the nation issued a joint statement after the last week’s Army Commanders meet that both the sides will refrain from sending more troops to the border and avoid any such step that worsen the situation between two countries at border areas. The statement released by Defence ministry after talks, “The two sides agreed to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthen communication on the ground, avoid misunderstandings and mis judgments, stop sending more troops to the frontline, refrain from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground, and avoid taking any actions that may complicate the situation.”[1] Now, China is contradicting itself by employing the new troops at LAC region. The recent agreement is not honoured by China that was happened in sixth round of military talks.[2] The statement given by Chinese side is indicating that China is interested to raise the issue more and not interested in deescalating the tensions between two countries. The China is making claims on LAC border disputed side on the basis of Tibet but we cannot forget that Tibet is a autonomous region and not a part of China. If China is merely occupying Tibet, how can it claim sovereignty over those borderlands?
The Chinese side repeatedly affirmed that the current situation in the border areas, earlier also China said that the carving of Ladakh into a separate union territory as a “unacceptable”. In the past years there is a paradigm shift in the diplomatic relationship between India and China, the recent impose ban on Chinese app in India to the closeness of China and Pakistan. India has blown hot and cold when it comes to China, setting the border issue aside to pursue political and economic cooperation with its largest neighbour. If once again tension gets heightened at LAC now it will be highly disruptive for both the nations, also it will affect global peace. The current situation at LAC is really worrisome for both the nations and in this time the statement made by Chinese side can be interpreted in multidimensional ways that would cause grave consequences.
There is an urgent need to de-escalate the things with the global interference to bring the peace between two countries at LAC, as in the instant issue the things are just expanding from the recent times. We need to understand the current India-China standoff raises multidimensional uncomfortable questions-for India, China, the U.S. and the whole world. But they must be asked, and eventually answer the current situation on Ladakh’s issue and standoff situation.
[1] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/china-calls-ladakhs-status-as-a-union-territory-an-illegal-move-objects-border-activities/articleshow/78385064.cms
[2] https://www.livemint.com/news/india/india-china-agree-not-to-send-more-troops-to-the-frontline-11600790554117.html
