Lashing out at US President Donald Trump for offering to mediate between India and China over the ongoing border standoff in Ladakh, the state-run Chinese media on Wednesday alleged that the “opportunist” US was trying to drive a wedge between India and China.
A hard-hitting editorial in state-run Global Times said that US administration, from Barack Obama to Donald Trump, has always been trying to pit India and China against each other as it knows that the two countries could impair US interests in Asia.
“For the US, a conflicting China-India relationship serves its interests. Washington believes the combined strength of Beijing and New Delhi could impair its interests in Asia and beyond. An opportunist US has never given up its attempt to drive a wedge between China and India. The administration of former president Barack Obama repeatedly stated that it saw India as part of its rebalancing strategy aimed at China, and the Trump administration emphasizes India as a major pillar in its much-touted Indo-Pacific concept,” the editorial said.
The article, however, put the blame on India for the current border standoff by saying that “India illegally constructed defense facilities across the border into Chinese territory in the Galwan Valley region, which is reminiscent of the 2017 Doklam stalemate.”
The editorial pointed out that China and India successfully solved the 2017 Doklam faceoff with “concerted efforts and wisdom” and added that the latest dispute can also be solved bilaterally.
“China and India successfully solved their Doklam faceoff with concerted efforts and wisdom. The two informal summits between the leadership of the two sides, one in the Chinese city of Wuhan in 2018 and the other in the Indian city of Chennai in 2019, set the tone to maintain peace and tranquility along the border,” it said.
Cautioning China and India about the US intentions, the article said,”The latest dispute can be solved bilaterally by China and India. The two countries should keep alert on the US, which exploits every chance to create waves that jeopardize regional peace and order.”
Terming the US an unreliable partner, the editorial pointed out that the self-centred “America First” policy endorsed by Donald Trump can hardly reconcile with Narendra Modi’s ambitious “Make in India” campaign. It also recalled how Trump’s high-profile visit to India in February 2020 failed to seal the trade deal between the two countries.
It also recalled how India had rejected Trump’s offer to “help” and “mediate” between India and Pakistan over Kashmir and said can only be discussed bilaterally. Calling the US a bad mediator, the article claimed that the US made more troubles rather than solving problems and turned bilateral disputes into multilateral ones.
