India 'Could Face Military Pressure' From China, Pakistan Or Even Nepal If Border Tensions Escalate: Chinese Mouthpiece

"India must ensure that such incidents do not happen again. India must not misjudge the current situation, or underestimate China's firm will safeguard its territorial sovereignty," the editorial said further.

(File Photo/ PTI)

The political ties between Asian neighbours India and China which have already reached its lowest ebb after the brutal physical altercation between troops from both the armies in the Galwan valley in Ladakh sector on June 15, does not seem to show any signs of improvement on the diplomatic front in the near future. Fueling bilateral tensions further between New Delhi and Beijing by issuing a rather provocative statement, the Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece Global Times has issued a warning of sorts to India stating that the nation "could face military pressure" from China, Pakistan or even Nepal if tensions along the border in the Ladakh sector continue to escalate. The two nations have been at loggerheads amidst major disagreements over the perception of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) which demarcates the sovereign territories of India and China in the Ladakh sector, in the absence of a permanent international border. Quoting Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, an editorial published in the state newspaper on Wednesday said, "India has engaged in border disputes with China, Pakistan and Nepal at the same time. As per the Chinese, Pakistan is a reliable strategic partner of China, and Nepal also has close proximity with the East Asian nation, and hence both of them are key allies under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. if India escalates border tensions, it could face military pressure from two or even three fronts, which is far beyond India's military capability and this might lead to a disastrous defeat for India." Zhiyong told the Global Times that China has "no intention" to change the status quo along the LAC in the Ladakh sector at all, and the incident happened on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control that caused the deaths of 20 Indian military personnel "was entirely provoked by the Indian side". As per the state media, China demands that India should carry out a thorough investigation into the incident of June 15 that killed 20 Indian Army personnel, including a Colonel rank officer, during a violent clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan valley area, and severely punish those who will be held accountable so as to ensure that such incidents do not happen again. "India must ensure that such incidents do not happen again. India must not misjudge the current situation, or underestimate China's firm will safeguard its territorial sovereignty," the editorial said further. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that India would like to ease the border tension through peaceful dialogue with China. While, his counterpart Wang Yi has stressed that China and India, both emerging powers with a population of over 1 billion, bear the historic mission of accelerating their own development and rejuvenation. On Wednesday, Jaishankar held talks with his Chinese counterpart  Yi and said that China took "pre-meditated and planned action" that was directly responsible for the resulting violence and casualties. However, the two leaders agreed that the overall situation would be handled in a responsible manner and both sides would implement the disengagement understanding of June 6 sincerely. that India "could face military pressure" from China, Pakistan or even Nepal if tensions along the border continue to escalate. (With Inputs From ANI)