Advertisement
China plays it cool despite ‘alarm over India border stand-off’
- Confrontation comes as Beijing grapples with challenges on all fronts, including US
- But neither side likely to escalate tensions, observer says
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
China may be playing down its border tensions with India but Beijing is alarmed by a stand-off in the Himalayas because of its proximity to Xinjiang and Tibet, analysts said on Tuesday.
It is not clear how the stand-off erupted on May 5 in the Galwan River valley on the border between Ladakh in Indian-administered Kashmir and China-administered Aksai Chin.
There have been several clashes in multiple spots along the border in the past month.
According to Associated Press, several Indian and Chinese soldiers were wounded in a high-altitude cross-border clash involving fistfights and stone-throwing at a remote but strategically important mountain pass near Tibet, the Indian Army said last month.
Advertisement
Neither country has protested over the clashes and Beijing said the situation was under control.
Advertisement
The stand-off in the Chinese-controlled valley was the first major border confrontation between the two countries since the 2017 Doklam incident, when their troops faced off for more than 70 days.
Advertisement
Select Voice
Choose your listening speed
Get through articles 2x faster
1.25x
250 WPM
Slow
Average
Fast
1.25x