China is testing India.
On the 15th June 2020, in the night, in the icy Galwan Valley, Ladakh, Indian and Chinese soldiers fought with their fists, with rocks, with wooden staves and—
—well, the Chinese also fought with metal rods spiked with nails.
The Indians were outnumbered 6 to 1. Apart from being out-weaponed.
20 Indians died—bashed to death or thrown off ravines or slowly freezing, 4700m above sea-level.
China won’t say how many of its soldiers died. The Indian news agency ANI says 43.
Why is this happening?
India has been building a 255km all-weather road to connect Ladakh’s capital, Leh, to the Daulat Beg Oldie air-base, at India’s northern tip. China hates that. Since April, it has deployed troops along the 3488km undemarcated border, to threaten and sabotage the road-building.
It failed. Isn’t China mad!
Galwan Valley is a key position along the Actual Line of Control.
If you look on the map, you will see that Aksai Chin is Beijing’s only land connexion with Tibet, Xinjiang, and the China-held Karakoram Pass.
It is also near the Nubra Valley, which is an important supply point for Indian forces against potential Pakistani aggression on the Siachen Glacier.
Once India puts aircraft or ground troops at Daulat Beg Oldie airstrip, it has the chance of taking the Karakoram Pass.
This scares China.
Galwan Valley is also midway between the contested Pangon Lakes and Daulat Beg Oldie.
So, conversely, if China takes Galwan Valley, it would cut India’s route from Leh to its airport. Plus it would acquire a brand-new military road!
China will not stop.
It cannot stop, because its economy is in decline, and it is afraid its people will rise up if, in addition to being unfree, they become unrich too.
Time for India to rethink its trade reliance on China.
Time for every nation to rethink its trade reliance on China.
Time for strong, like-minded democracies like India and Australia to join up and show bully-boy China that
it does not rule the playground.
Sources:
Amanda Hodge for The Australian, 18th, 19th June 2020.
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