India forges ahead with ‘Act East’ policy amid territorial dispute with China

China has said that Indian forces had intruded into the Donglang or Doklam – an area, which according to Chinese interpretation lies undisputedly on its side of the boundary in the Sikkim border area. Indian Defense Minister Arun Jaitley also warned that “the situation in 1962 was different and India of 2017 is different” in a reference to his country’s defeat in the Sino-Indian War, which also began with a dispute over the demarcation of the two countries’ shared 2,174-mile border. However, the Indian Army had blocked construction of the road by China in the region, which is a disputed territory between China and Bhutan. Beijing has been demanding withdrawal of Indian troops as a precondition to conduct meaningful dialogue.

China’s superior efficiency in infrastructure building has been on stark display near the Arunachal Pradesh, angering locals and making India’s ability to ramp up development of the state crucial to maintaining stability in the area. “The worldwide community must be aware of Bhutan’s dilemma and prevent India from oppressing this small kingdom”, the Global Times wrote in an editorial.

Earlier on Thursday, Chinese media also accused New Delhi of oppressing Bhutan and said that Beijing will support and “fuel” pro-independence appeals in Sikkim to rewrite the Himalayan geopolitics. China has also said that the present stand-off could hit border talks with India.

“The latest incident happened at a section that has always been demarcated by an 1890 historical convention and reaffirmed in documents exchanged between successive Chinese and Indian governments since then. We appreciate what Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi said in St. Petersburg that over the past 50 years, not a single bullet has been fired at the India-China border areas”.

The daily said India “oppresses” Bhutan and “has startling control over” it.

Previously, the official spokesperson of China made a baffling statement saying “If India doesn’t step back, we might have to take extreme measures in order to conquer our land”.

India has objected to road building, citing the pending ownership of the region.

“The aim of this incident is, under the pretext of so called security concerns and protecting Bhutan, flagrantly overstepping the already defined Sikkim section by the mutually recognised 1890 convention, to enter undisputable Dokalam region of China, thus making disputes over Dokalam, hindering the negotiation process between China and Bhutan”.

Bhutan claimed that the Chinese army started to construct a motorable road on June 16 from Dokola in the Doklam area towards the Bhutan army camp in Zompelri.

“Given the growing power asymmetry between China and India, China wants to lock in geopolitical and geo-economic advantages”.