WORLD NEWS

Introduction

China on August 28, 2023 released her new Standard Map claiming Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh to be its territory, South Tibet. China also showed Aksai Chin region occupied by it in the 1962 India-China War as part of China in the map.

External affairs minister of India, S Jaishankar strongly refuted the claim & said that India has lodged a strong protest through diplomatic channels with the Chinese side on the so called 2023 Standard Map of China, that lays claim on the Indian territory. Rejecting the claims as baseless, S. Jaishankar opined, such steps by China only complicate resolution of the boundary question between the two countries.

Besides India, other Asian Countries including Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia & Taiwan have also rejected Chinese claims in South China Sea, accusing China of claiming their territory.

While Vietnam said China’s official map violates her sovereignty over the Spratly and Paracel Islands and jurisdiction over its waters, she stated that Chinese claims were not valid. The Philippines has also refused to recognise China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea & Malaysia and Taiwan have also issued strongly worded statements accusing Beijing of claiming their territory.

Recently, in his conversation with President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, Prime Minister Modi had highlighted India’s concerns on unresolved issues along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector of the India-China border. The Prime Minister had reportedly underlined that, maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas and observing and respecting the LAC were essential for the normalisation of India-China relationship. Two leaders reportedly had agreed to direct their relevant officials to intensify efforts at expeditious disengagement and de-escalation.

Track record of China

However, according to observers, this is not the first time that China has employed such tactics, particularly in the case of India. In April during the current year, China reportedly had unilaterally renamed as many as 11 Indian locations, including mountain peaks, rivers, and residential areas. Previously in 2017 and 2021 also China’s Civil Affair Ministry had reportedly Renamed other Indian locations, triggering another political confrontation, with India calling this out as China’s expansionist plans.

Why does China do it repeatedly?

China perceives Rising India a Rival and wants to constrain its strategic partnership with the US, its allies, and other democracies. China intends to displace the US as the world’s foremost power. Perceiving Rising India as a rival, China seeks to impel it to accommodate China’s ambitions by engaging economically, while constraining India’s strategic partnership with the US, Japan, Australia, and its relations with other democracies, say observers.

Chinese claim

China claims that aggression and expansionism have never been in the Chinese nation’s genes. Admitting that aggression and expansionism obviously are not genetic traits, observers nevertheless feel that China under President Xi Jinping appears to be following in the footsteps of Mao Zedong trying to expand China’s influence by trying to establish authority over weaker states, forcing them to submit to it and reap the benefits of peace and trade with her.

Changing power dynamics in South Asia & India’s strategy

The changing power dynamics in South Asia has attracted the attention of extra-regional powers such as China and the United States. This region is strategically important, serving as a channel to the landlocked and resource-rich Central Asian Republics, including Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan & Uzbekistan, and becoming a new centre of gravity.

There is consensus among the Scholars that China aims to be the dominant power in Asia. Taking into account South Asia’s geo-strategic importance, China is trying to bring the countries in the region under her influence through the Belt and Road Initiative. However, China’s ambition in this regard has to take into consideration her neighbour, Rising India’s aspirations for regional power status. Many South Asian nations are therefore trying to remain equidistant between the two regional powers. In this power transition at present India has adopted a wait and watch strategy.

Epilogue

Considering that other Asian Countries, including Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia & Taiwan, who find mention in the Chinese Standard Map have also rejected Chinese claims in South China Sea, accusing China of claiming their territory, India’s role, besides South Asia & particularly, regarding China’s atrocious claims on the Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh & the Aksai Chin, also assumes significance in South China Sea.

India’s role in the security in the South China Sea is considered critical in sustaining and maximizing her strategic interests in the Indian Ocean. India also has high stakes in South China as nearly 55% of India’s trade with the Indo-Pacific region passes through these waters. India’s own economic prosperity and that of the region depends on a stable maritime order with sea lanes kept open. Towards that end, India has been pushing for a rules-based order in the Indo-pacific Region by upholding the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Under these circumstances, as competition for strategic space continues to rise in the Indian Ocean, India must continue to build its partnership with the US, Southeast Asian states, and the regional powers. This will also help keep Chinese belligerence towards India under check & will be instrumental in positioning India as a credible security provider, as expected by the United States of India, opine observers.

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