The glaring positional rivalry is visible from the fact that in August 2023, just weeks before the final G20 summit in New Delhi, China stated that the theme of Vasudeva Kutumbakam is not valid since it is in Sanskrit which is not a UN language.
Author
Sriparna Pathak, Associate Professor, Chinese Studies and International Relations, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India.
Summary
Previously, mentioning India and China often evoked a sense of Asian solidarity, anti-colonialism, and rising economies. However, that has undergone a sea change since 2020, when China unilaterally attacked India at the borders and tried to change the status quo by force. Today, the mention of India and China cannot be separated from the perpetual border dispute and ever-increasing Chinese military aggression. The point to note in the context of the Chinese attack in 2020 is that it was not the first one and was not been the last one; 1962 remains a bitter memory for India, while China often reminds India of the debacle in 1962 and how it taught India a lesson.
In 2020, the Chinese State-run Global Times stated that history will repeat itself if India makes the same mistakes as in 1962. What China comfortably forgets is that when it did try to attack India again in 1967, the Indian armed forces under then prime minister (PM) Indira Gandhi were better prepared after the Chinese betrayal in 1962 and India pushed back against Chinese onslaught at Nathu La and Cho La. This time, Indian forces triumphed and restored the parity between the two countries, while reviving India’s pride after the defeat earlier in 1962. Since then, several incursions, and limited wars including 1987, Doklam Valley clash, the Galwan Valley clash, and the Yangtse Valley clash of 2022 have happened. No other country except India has seen so many onslaughts from China!
Published in: Hindustan Times
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