Experts: Don't bring US into border issue

India 'entirely' responsible, China won't give up 'inch of its territory', defense minister says

Chinese experts cautioned India not to invite the United States or other countries to meddle in its border issue with China, as this could severely complicate the already precarious situation and turn the China-India border into a new geopolitical "powder keg".

Meanwhile, China cannot accept India's ploy to gain leverage in future negotiations in which its government says it will honor its promise of de-escalation while its military actively trespasses into Chinese territory, they said.

While China still prefers a peaceful resolution of its border issues with India, as a backup option, China will keep increasing the infrastructure and military buildup on its side of the border in order to be better prepared for possible future transgressions, they added.

On Aug 31, the Indian military trespassed into Chinese territory at the southern bank of Pangong Tso Lake in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region, according to the People's Liberation Army Western Theater Command.

On Friday, the defense ministers of China and India met in Moscow on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization defense ministers' meeting to lower border tensions.

During that meeting, State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe told Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh that India was "entirely" responsible for the latest tensions and China would not give up "an inch of its territory".

"The Chinese military has the resolve, capability and confidence to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity," he said. China hopes India will strictly abide by the series of agreements reached by the two sides, strengthen control over front-line troops, refrain from provocations, and not hype up or spread information that may negatively impact the situation.

Singh said "the current situation should be handled responsibly, and neither side should take any further action that could either complicate the situation or escalate matters in the border areas".

Jia Duqiang, an associate researcher at the National Institute of International Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said it is a positive sign that both defense ministers called for restraint and expressed willingness to de-escalate the situation.

"However, we have seen India try to gain more leverage by calling for dialogue and restraint through diplomatic channels while increasing its military presence in the border region and even trespassing into Chinese territory," he said.

Jia said these incidents will likely occur routinely along the China-India border. "Our front-line troops should take necessary precautions against future transgressions," he said.

Zhang Jiadong, director of the Center of South Asian Studies at Fudan University, told Shenzhen Television last week that India's recent incursion into Chinese territory is for its administration to show the US and various domestic power factions that it can challenge China.

"I don't think India really wants to challenge China militarily, it simply wants to have more leverage and gain a better bargaining position when negotiating with China in the future," he said.

Li Li, an expert on India and a professor of international relations at Tsinghua University, said for the last few decades, the US had been neutral on the China-India border dispute, but now it has taken a clear and decisive stance in support of India.

"The US encourages India to cause trouble for China, so it can pressure China and profit from the conflict and competition," she said.

"Coupled with India's increasing logistical support for troops in harsh environments and an appetite for opportunism, it is no surprise that India began contesting China's borders more frequently and brazenly in recent years."

Washington's involvement

Experts said one troubling development in the recent China-India border dispute is the eagerness of the US to meddle in the situation. The Indian media has frequently called for the Indian government to invite the US and its allies to help mediate its border issue.

The US has also stated on multiple occasions that it is ready and interested in mediating the dispute, but its offers have been rejected by both China and India so far.

"Given the tense China-US relationship and India's significance in Washington's Indo-Pacific strategy, it is most likely that the US and its allies will back the Indian side if they are involved. This will dramatically complicate the situation," Jia said.

On Aug 24, US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper published an article attacking the role played by the Chinese military and saying that the US and its allies must be ready to challenge it everywhere.

On Sunday, Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang, a spokesman of the Ministry of National Defense, criticized Esper's allegations as totally groundless and reflecting a Cold-War mentality and ideological bias.

"The article distorted the PLA's image without any basis and played up the so-called Chinese military threat," Ren said, adding that the Communist Party of China and the PLA share the same mission of serving the people, as enshrined in the Chinese Constitution.

"Any attempt to sever the flesh and bone ties between China's army and the Chinese people is doomed to fail," Ren said. The PLA has also made contributions to world peace as an active participant in international peacekeeping missions and humanitarian rescue missions, he said.

"The international community has widely praised the PLA's contribution to world peace and prosperity," he said."It will continue to play its role and help build a peaceful, safe, prosperous and inclusive world."