Tension between India and China on Ladakh’s border in the Himalayas has increased again this week. PLATAFORMA spoke to Wong Tong, commentator on military affairs in Macau. Pessimistic about the current situation, the expert said he believes both sides can move towards a direct military confrontation in the region.
“China has offended Western governments because of the new coronavirus that causes Covid-19 and the national security law passed to Hong Kong. On the other hand, India took advantage of this situation to start border conflicts. But the Chinese will not give up. Both sides suffered casualties in a first skirmish recorded in June in that border area, which was remedied by the intervention of senior officials from both parties, avoiding the outbreak of an armed conflict. How long can the situation be under control? I don’t know, ”he said.
For Wong Tong, the two sides may end up opening fire on their rivals, but predicted that “an escalation of the conflict can remain only on a small scale”. He also recalled that “China and India have been dealing with this border issue since 1949”. However, he pointed out, in the last 10 years, “China has increased the infrastructure in the region and has the capacity to send thousands of soldiers in just one week”.
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