Chinese State Councilor and Defense
Minister Wei Fenghe and Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met on the
sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Moscow on
Friday.
This was the highest-level military meeting between the two countries since
tensions flared along the border in recent months. The two armies are currently
confronting each other on the south bank of Pangong Tso Lake and Reqin mountain
pass. The situation on the ground is quite tense.
The fact that the two defense ministers are sitting face-to-face is in itself a
positive signal and provides the necessary atmosphere for the two countries to
manage their border disputes and cool down the situation on the ground.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian Minister of
External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will also plan to meet on September
10. The meeting between Wei and Singh laid an important foundation for the
meeting between the two foreign ministers. The complex border issue between
China and India cannot be resolved in one meeting, but the role of the two
defense ministers will be crucial in cooling border frictions.
China and India are both big powers that have the capacity to mobilize national
forces to support a military conflict in the border areas, but at this moment
both sides need to calm down and clarify two major issues.
First, China and India have not yet demarcated their borders and the Line of
Actual Control (LAC) shouldn't be subject to constant change and different
interpretations. The LAC of November 7, 1959 should be the base for both sides.
If both sides want to create a new LAC on their own, and the will of the two
major powers were to collide, the result would be disastrous. If both countries
use their national power to support this collision indefinitely, it will lead
to war, and the scale of the war may not be controlled near the LAC, resulting
in a tragic loss of both countries' power, including the lives of their
soldiers.
And given the size of both countries' national power and the current international
climate, it is almost impossible to change the status quo on their borders to a
large degree. In the end, the two countries will have to return to the general
state of the existing LAC. So what are the two sides fighting for?
Territory is important, but only if China or India "beats" the other
(these are two nuclear states), otherwise the status quo will be maintained. It
is surely better for both countries and their people to maintain the status quo
by peaceful means than to return to it after a brutal fight.
Second, both China and India are emerging economies committed to economic and
social development and have their own arduous tasks at home. Whether the two
countries are partners or enemies has a completely different impact on their
respective development ambitions. Although the boundary issue is difficult, it
should not be the theme of China-India relations. It should be the common
wisdom of the two major countries.
The China-India boundary issue, which had been dormant for decades, has become
"an active volcano" again in recent years, and it should not be.
Before delimiting the border, it should be a common goal for both countries to
manage the border issue by letting the disputes become "dormant"
between the two sides again.
The problem now is that India has drawn an aggressive line on the border issue,
misinterpreting China's desire to maintain peace and stability on the border as
a weakness that can be exploited by threatening to wage a border war "at
any cost." Some in New Delhi also believe that the US' suppression of
China and support for India has increased India's strategic strength and
provided it with additional capital for risky adventure along the China-India
border. This miscalculation has led it to a series arrogant and reckless moves
on the China-India border issue.
We must remind the Indian side that China's national strength, including its
military strength, is much stronger than India's. Although China and India are
both great powers, when it comes to the ultimate competition of combat
capability, the Indian side will lose. If a border war starts, India will have
no chance of winning.
We hope that the defense ministers' meeting will be a turning point for the two
countries to come back to the consensus of the leaders' meeting. Each side will
make its due effort to reduce tensions on the border.
Indian public opinion is too deeply and widely involved in border issues. The
Indian troop has been obviously kidnapped by domestic nationalism.
Therefore, in addition to the joint control of the border dispute between China
and India, India should also manage public opinion and nationalism, and make
the best choice for its country and its people.
Chinese State Councilor and Defense
Minister Wei Fenghe and Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met on the
sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Moscow on
Friday.
This was the highest-level military meeting between the two countries since
tensions flared along the border in recent months. The two armies are currently
confronting each other on the south bank of Pangong Tso Lake and Reqin mountain
pass. The situation on the ground is quite tense.
The fact that the two defense ministers are sitting face-to-face is in itself a
positive signal and provides the necessary atmosphere for the two countries to
manage their border disputes and cool down the situation on the ground.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian Minister of
External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will also plan to meet on September
10. The meeting between Wei and Singh laid an important foundation for the
meeting between the two foreign ministers. The complex border issue between
China and India cannot be resolved in one meeting, but the role of the two
defense ministers will be crucial in cooling border frictions.
China and India are both big powers that have the capacity to mobilize national
forces to support a military conflict in the border areas, but at this moment
both sides need to calm down and clarify two major issues.
First, China and India have not yet demarcated their borders and the Line of
Actual Control (LAC) shouldn't be subject to constant change and different
interpretations. The LAC of November 7, 1959 should be the base for both sides.
If both sides want to create a new LAC on their own, and the will of the two
major powers were to collide, the result would be disastrous. If both countries
use their national power to support this collision indefinitely, it will lead
to war, and the scale of the war may not be controlled near the LAC, resulting
in a tragic loss of both countries' power, including the lives of their
soldiers.
And given the size of both countries' national power and the current international
climate, it is almost impossible to change the status quo on their borders to a
large degree. In the end, the two countries will have to return to the general
state of the existing LAC. So what are the two sides fighting for?
Territory is important, but only if China or India "beats" the other
(these are two nuclear states), otherwise the status quo will be maintained. It
is surely better for both countries and their people to maintain the status quo
by peaceful means than to return to it after a brutal fight.
Second, both China and India are emerging economies committed to economic and
social development and have their own arduous tasks at home. Whether the two
countries are partners or enemies has a completely different impact on their
respective development ambitions. Although the boundary issue is difficult, it
should not be the theme of China-India relations. It should be the common
wisdom of the two major countries.
The China-India boundary issue, which had been dormant for decades, has become
"an active volcano" again in recent years, and it should not be.
Before delimiting the border, it should be a common goal for both countries to
manage the border issue by letting the disputes become "dormant"
between the two sides again.
The problem now is that India has drawn an aggressive line on the border issue,
misinterpreting China's desire to maintain peace and stability on the border as
a weakness that can be exploited by threatening to wage a border war "at
any cost." Some in New Delhi also believe that the US' suppression of
China and support for India has increased India's strategic strength and
provided it with additional capital for risky adventure along the China-India
border. This miscalculation has led it to a series arrogant and reckless moves
on the China-India border issue.
We must remind the Indian side that China's national strength, including its
military strength, is much stronger than India's. Although China and India are
both great powers, when it comes to the ultimate competition of combat
capability, the Indian side will lose. If a border war starts, India will have
no chance of winning.
We hope that the defense ministers' meeting will be a turning point for the two
countries to come back to the consensus of the leaders' meeting. Each side will
make its due effort to reduce tensions on the border.
Indian public opinion is too deeply and widely involved in border issues. The
Indian troop has been obviously kidnapped by domestic nationalism.
Therefore, in addition to the joint control of the border dispute between China
and India, India should also manage public opinion and nationalism, and make
the best choice for its country and its people.