China’s Lanka move backfires as India talks about a militarised Taiwan

When you make a move, there is a need to understand its pros and cons. But, the Chinese authorities do not seem to understand it. In the last few years, most of their anti-India moves have backfired. But, this time it is of colossal consequences. India has begun the process of recognition of Taiwan as a separate nation.

Indian High Commission on Taiwan

Recently, the Indian High Commissioner’s retort to Chinese allegations grabbed headlines. It invited a well deserved applause from the nation loving faction of the population. After all, the attitude infused in officers trained during the dovish Congress days had started to bring much-needed results. But, while clapping for them, many analysts missed one critical aspect of the statement.

India had actually used Taiwan and China in separate terms. Yes, while referring to protocols followed in releasing High Commissioner’s tweets, Indian High Commission wrote, “The Spokesman of @IndiainSL issued the above tweets in response to queries concerning the article by Chinese Ambassador to #SriLanka which, inter alia, drew connection between militarization of Taiwan Straits and visit of China’s Yuan Wang 5 ship to Hambantota.”

India’s stance is shifting

The phrase “militarisation of Taiwan Straits” used by the Indian High Commission is the first time an official Indian document has used such term. Up until now, India has officially never treated China and Taiwan as separate territories. For the last 73-years, India has maintained its stand on “One China Policy”. It also did not establish diplomatic association with Taiwan.

However, other ties such as trade and culture continued. Nearly 200 Taiwanese companies are operating in India in electronics, construction, petrochemicals, machine, Information and Communications Technology, and auto parts. In spite of the ties not reaching their full potential, things have moved in a positive direction for both countries. Neither has Taiwan asked India to support it nor did India want to engage with China on negative terms.

Took 14 years for the next step

But, the imperialist ambitions of the Chinese Communist Party are forcing India to move away from its stance. The foundation was laid way back in 2008 when the Chinese laid out their claim on Arunachal Pradesh. India simply stopped using the term “One China Policy” in official bilateral documents and joint declarations.

This time China went many steps further than their crimes in Arunachal. For the last 2 years, the border segmentation necessitated by Galwan valley has not been sorted out because of China. Rather than cooperating with India, China embarked on a mission to keep a watch on India’s strategic assets. India pushed back with ferocious intensity and this is what irked China.

Counter to Chinese aggression

Neurotic, impractical and ignorant Chinese authorities went on to distort history in order to show that India is bad for Sri Lanka. Following the pattern of making exorbitant and out of the world claims, the Chinese administration went on to claim that India had attacked Sri Lanka 17 times in the past. Just like Kangaroo Courts in Communist regimes, they did not cite any historical book or any reference to substantiate this claim.

Xi Jinping is doing it in order to ensure his return to the post of Chinese President later this year. But, baseless, factless and incoherent allegations are not the way to go forward. The move in fact will end up only diminishing the support for Jinping. India’s counter communicated that Taiwan had asked for India’s support and India provided it, all thanks to Jinping.

India has been meeting fire with a more ferocious counter-fire. Now, it is time for separatism against separatism. Unlike in India where everyone in territories claimed by China wants to stay in India, the situation in Taiwan is anti-China. By virtue of being a key member of QUAD, it won’t be tough for India to galvanise the globe in support of Taiwan. It is only a matter of when.

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