The China-India Clash The Himalayan border brawl is an opening for closer U.S.-Delhi ties.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-china-india-clash-11592435121?mod=opinion_lead_pos3
Monday’s skirmish along the China-India border was the deadliest in decades. It’s impossible to confirm what triggered the fighting, but the big picture is clear: Tensions between New Delhi and Beijing are escalating while the latter steps up its regional bullying.
Both countries have sent thousands of troops to their disputed border in the Himalayas, though a “de-escalation process” was under way when the deadly confrontation began Monday night. Reportedly no firearms were used, but the Indian government said at least 20 Indian soldiers died. China won’t confirm any deaths but probably suffered some after hours of high-altitude, hand-to-hand combat.
Each country says the other instigated the confrontation, but the clash fits China’s recent habit of pressing territorial claims on all fronts. In the South China Sea, China has militarized artificial islands and is asserting its claims with force. Chinese vessels, often backed by the country’s coast guard, hound foreign ships operating in contested waters. This led to standoffs with Indonesia and Malaysia earlier in the year. This spring a Chinese government vessel sank a Vietnamese fishing boat.
In the East China Sea, Chinese ships have appeared near the disputed Senkaku Islands every day for more than two months, leading to protests from Japan. Chinese jet fighters intruded into Taiwanese airspace this month while state-run media and senior generals muse about a possible invasion. Beijing is exerting more political control over Hong Kong.
As the Chinese economy struggles amid the pandemic, President Xi Jinping appears to be letting the People’s Liberation Army act out abroad. This may be a nationalist play to shore up domestic support. Or perhaps Mr. Xi simply feels confident enough to achieve longstanding territorial goals.
Whatever the motivation, China’s behavior is raising tensions and creating an opportunity for U.S. diplomacy. Longstanding alliances with Japan, South Korea and the Philippines have suffered in recent years. But Chinese bullying could help to revive them—especially if President Trump focuses on trillion-dollar strategic questions instead of billion-dollar cost-sharing disputes over military deployments.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the most pro-American Indian leader in decades, and he gets along well with Mr. Trump. More of Indonesia’s 267 million citizens are also growing skeptical of Beijing. Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi warned this month that China’s maritime claims threaten Indonesia’s economic interests. Bringing Jakarta and New Delhi closer to America’s democratic, rules-based alliance structure—while deepening economic ties as U.S. firms flee China—would benefit all parties.
Let’s hope China and India stand down in the current clash, but the U.S. ought to use the event to point out to Delhi and other regional capitals the strategic advantages of closer ties with America.
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