CHINA’S NEW LAW ON LAND BORDER ACTIVITIES HAS GRAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR INDIA NARENDRA MODI GOVERNMENT MUST IMPROVE ITS BORDER INFRA TO FOIL ANY PLAN OF BEIJING

Come 2022, India can anticipate serious incursions and incidents on the Indo-China border along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The Chinese have just unilaterally passed a new law empowering the Chinese state to undertake a wide variety of activities along its land borders which in short means that Chinese settlers could be brought in
planted inthe border areas. India has formallyprotested this unilateral move.

The law stipulates that“the state shall take measures to strengthen border defence, support economic and social development as well as opening-up in border areas, improve public services and infrastructure in such areas, encourage and support people’s life and work there, and promote coordination between
border defence and social, economic development in border areas,” Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.

These settlements might even be set up inal “disputed areas”where China does not have existing agreements with neighbouring countries. It may be noted that the entire border between the two countries virtually remains disputed and bilaterally accepted demarcation lines have yet to be drawn.

The law therefore opens the door for every action Chinese authorities deem fit to undertake for wide gamut of purposes and activities. Such unilateral provisions are in contravention of all accepted diplomatic practices and are provocative actions.

India China border areas are inhospitable and sparsely populated bynature ofthe land. Chinese policies are to bring people from the Han populated central areas and resettle them in areas which they want to control firmly. They have been following this strategy in Xinjiang, where the majorityUyghur population are being driven into a minority.

The Chinese have followed the same strategy in Tibet where the Han population is all set to overtake the local Tibetans. The Chinese are discovering new and newer pretexts to encroach upon these remote areas and push their land boundaries outwards.

The new law was passed last Saturday and India has expressed serious concerns over the provisions ofthe legislation, fearingthat pursuing these objectives could altogether alter the India- China border areas an disturb the LAC.

Whyis China adoptingsuchattitudes of unilateral actions disregarding all established practices for maintaining
the so-called “Peace and Tranquility” along the borders as the Chinese are fond of repeating ad nauseam.

China is adopting an increasingly aggressive note in its dealings with neighbouring countries. It is feeling and also expressinga new confidence about its defence capabilities, with acquisition of ever increasingly sophisticated and powerful weapons of war.

Only recently, China has tested some “hypersonic missiles” and glide vehicles to carry nuclear tipped arsenals. These are really hugely powerfulweapons whichcanget past surveillance radars for detection of balistic missiles.

These hypersonic missiles ad vehicles canpierce evenUS missile shields and the United States have expressed serious concerns over Chinese muscle flexing. A highest ranking US soldier has described the event asthe “Sputnik moment” for China.

India wil haveto be prepared for high technology warfare onits borders with China and beef up infrastructure on the border areas.

China’s supreme leader, Xi Jinping, is the source of China’s new arrogance on the international arena. Xi is seeking to establish his dominance in every sphere of life in the Chinese state. Xiis set to continue asthesupreme leader for a third term. He will have this decision endorsed
by the Chinese Communist Party Congress next year.

China has shown off a heightened demonstration of raw power in the narrow Taiwan Straits threateningthe island nation with military invasion. China is equally assertive inthe large areas of the SouthChina Sea, claiming sovereignty over even territorial waters of many of the littoral states.

Xi Jinping is seeking to demonstrate that he is the strong man who is taking China to the world stage as a super power in the league ofAmerica ifnot tippingthe balance. Xiis whippingup hyper nationalism in China where people are demanding aspecial status for the country in the world.

A measure of Xi’s desperation to handle thedomestic situation and have complete hold on internal power is that he is not participating personally in the most important global conferences. Even though all the important global leaders are going to Rome and Glasgow for the G20 and COP26 consultations, Xi will be conspicuously absent.

Xi’s moves and statements are meant as much for the global audience of countries near and far, as these are meant for the consumption of the Chinese domestic audience. Xi is determined to establish himself asthe new Mao. Xi’s moves, bothdomestic and international have serious implications for India and the Narendra Modi Government has to be vigilant.

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