On Tuesday, the very same day news broke about the violent clashes in between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley of eastern Ladakh, in which at last 20 Indian soldiers died, a Chinese J-10 fighter briefly went into Taiwan’s air defence zone, prompting the self-ruled island to rush its aircraft in response. This was the 3rd Chinese incursion into Taiwan’s airspace within a week. 2 months back, Chinese vessels had actually gotten in the waters of Malaysia and Vietnam. Last month, Chinese Coast Guard ships pursued Japanese fishing boats in waters declared by both nations. All these events indicate a newly found aggressiveness in China’s technique towards its currently bothered area, from the Himalayas to the South and East China Seas.
Likewise checked out: What discusses the India-China border flare-up?
Stress in the area are not brand-new for China. The roughly 4,000 km-long India-China border, which is not clearly demarcated, has actually seen periodic flare-ups. In 2017, troops from both countries were locked in a face-off in the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction of Doklam for over 2 months. China has claims over the South China Sea and “reunification” with Taiwan is among its self-declared goals. But what makes the present stand-offs different is China’s preparedness to utilize force in attending to these challenges. This was the very first time in 45 years that blood was spilt on the India-China border. Last month, in an annual policy plan, China dropped the world “tranquil” in referring to its desire to “reunify” with Taiwan, ending an almost 30- year-long precedent.
Sharp turn
This dogleg marks China’