I was disappointed by Sadanand Dhume’s Wall Street Journal column on the increased tension on the India-China border, largely fomented by China. I just didn’t see much value-added in it except for this:
Nitin Pai, co-founder of the Takshashila Institution, a Bangalore-based think tank, says Beijing’s aggressive stance toward India, as reflected in its current provocation on the border, is part of the country’s “sharper and more confrontational†foreign policy in the Covid era. Since the start of the pandemic, China has found itself embroiled in spats with, among others, the U.S., Australia and Taiwan. It has also stepped up naval patrols in the disputed South China Sea.
Mr. Pai says Beijing is being foolish by choosing confrontation with India, a nation of 1.3 billion people with a median age of 27. “They are going to live for a long time, and they are going to remember you as an enemy,†he says. “You may win a mountain peak or a valley, but you are going to make enemies for life.â€
I’ve said it before. I just don’t understand China’s sudden change not merely in policy but in the time horizon of its actions. Previously famous for taking a longer view President Xi seems to be considering only the near term. Why the rush? Is he running out of time?
