An event that happened in a Delhi hotel on December 22 has now unnerved Beijing in epic proportions. China is writing painful letters to the Indian government and is now flexing its non-existent muscles by extending its claims over Indian territories.
So, what exactly happened on December 22 that has now made Xi Jinping extremely nervous and Chinese wolf warriors go berserk?
Indian MPs set the paper dragon on fire
Here’s the answer—for the first time ever, Indian members of parliament, including the union minister, held a meeting with the Tibetan government-in-exile. India’s second-highest rank diplomat Maneka Gandhi also attended the dinner hosted by Tibetan officials.
Let me tell you—this is a tectonic shift in India’s foreign policy. As per government guidelines previously made citing bilateral ties with China, Indian officials, ministers and diplomats are barred from attending events hosted by Tibetans in India.
However, what happened on December 22 was enough to send Chinese officials into a commotion.
China seethes in pain
So, China fired back by writing letters to Indian MPs. Interestingly, it was for the first time that any foreign diplomat had written to any Indian member of parliament in an official capacity. The Chinese embassy in New Delhi expressed its “concern” over their participation and asked them to “refrain from providing support to the ‘Tibetan independence’ forces”.
Chinese Political Counsellor Zhou Yongsheng wrote to Indian MPs, “Tibetan Government in-exile’ is an out-and-out separatist political group and an illegal organization completely in violation of China’s Constitution and laws.”
The letter further read, “China firmly opposes any anti-China separatist activities conducted by “Tibetan independence” forces in any capacity or name in any country and opposes any forms of contact by officials of any country with them.”
Indian MP for Tibetan affairs says Tibet is not a part of China
However, the Chinese diplomat got an unexpected iron fist response from the Indian MPs in return. One MP squarely denied accepting Tibet as a part of China. Sujeet Kumar, MP from a government-aligned opposition party responded, “Who is the Political Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy to write to a Member of Parliament of India, the largest democracy? How dare you send letters to Indian MPs? I think the ministry of external affairs should take action.”
Kumar, who is also the convener of the All-Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet, added, “Personally speaking, I don’t consider Tibet to be a part of China. That is separate because the Government of India’s official policy is different.”
Is PM Modi pulling the strings?
This stern response from the Indian MPs makes it vehemently clear that the Modi administration is fully backing these Tibet sympathizers in the Indian parliament. PM Modi himself is a big admirer of Tibetan culture and he had himself set the paper dragon on fire last year when he greeted Dalai Lama on his 86th birthday for the first time after assuming the Prime Minister office.
And not just. India is also bringing China’s two arch-enemies—Tibet and Taiwan—closer. A series of diplomatic interactions between the two sides has now raised hopes of better Tibet-Taiwan relations.
Read More: India is engineering an alliance between Tibet and Taiwan
Even at the top level, Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen have started interacting with each other which is bringing Taiwan-Tibet relations into the limelight. Much to China’s chagrin, India is acting as a linking bridge between the two sworn rivals of China.
But except for releasing propaganda videos and renaming some of the Indian cities with Mandarin Characters, there is little that China can do to avenge its humiliation. Tibet card is India’s answer to China’s expansionist activities up in the Himalayas.
India is as populous as China. India’s economic growth has already outpaced that of China. India is rising and China is sinking. But silly Chinese wolf warriors still chose to make an enemy out of the oldest civilization of the world. And now it is the payback time.