Editorial | China and India need diplomatic offensive as troops pull back
- Easing of border tensions between nations after deadly clash must also be met with cooling of nationalist urges, and political efforts have to be intensified on both sides to get relations back on track
A border stand-off between China and India has spurred Indian nationalists to seek a severing of ties. While military commanders appear to have calmed tensions in the Galwan Valley high in the Himalayas with an agreement that troops pull back, trade and technology pressures are now mounting.
In moves reminiscent of steps taken against Beijing by Washington, New Delhi has banned 59 Chinese mobile apps, including immensely popular TikTok and WeChat, on security grounds. Efforts for a political solution have to be redoubled to prevent relations from further souring.
The pulling back of troops from the disputed boundary between the Chinese region of Aksai Chin and the Indian-administered territory of Ladakh lessens the risk of accidental clashes. But it does not mean a military build-up will be reversed.
Both sides have been stepping up deployment of soldiers and equipment since a skirmish on June 15 that killed 20 Indian soldiers and left an undisclosed number of Chinese casualties. Tensions had been rising for two months and there were brawls during a previous encounter, but the hand-to-hand fighting was the deadliest in four decades.
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Indians call for boycott of Chinese goods after deadly border clash with China
Nationalists in China and India have used the dispute to push agendas. For both nations, it is a distraction from the Covid-19 pandemic and the economic troubles it has wrought.