CHINA-INDIA: DOKLAM FACE-OFF AND PROPAGANDA RHETORIC
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The People's Daily, the CCP's official newspaper, on August 14, 2017 stated that "as of press time, China has laid out its position 67 times, with the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterating its firm stance on the issue for 54 times, while the Ministry of National Defense has issued 4 announcements regarding the incident". It quoted Guan Peifeng, an Associate Professor from the China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies at Wuhan University, as saying “Sino-Indian tension regarding border disputes happens from time to time, but the current standoff is different, as it is the first ever face-off in an uncontested border area. Indian troops have actually entered China’s territory. Though military and economic powers are heavily stacked in China’s favor, the country will not easily give up the hope of finding a peaceful solution for the standoff. The standoff will continue, for now, but [China] should be prepared for the worst.” He suggested also that “It’s possible that India wants to use the border conflict to gain support from the public, paving the road for launching the government’s reform measures.” Guan Peifeng also claimed “Due to historical reasons, India has been vigilant of China’s moves, while the latter has yet paid enough attention to its neighbor in the south. The standoff indicates the weak mutual trust and insufficient nongovernmental exchanges between the two nations. If the Indian government and media outlets keep feeding its people distorted facts, relations between the two nations can’t be improved.” Former Chinese Ambassador to India Zhou Gang said “The current standoff shows India’s intention to counterbalance China’s influence and power in South Asia, as India has been holding a Cold War mentality, treating China as a potential competitor that may prevent India from becoming the region’s dominant power.” He added 'India’s interference aims to breed ill blood between China and Bhutan, disrupting the two nations’ negotiation on border issues, as well as offer India an opportunity to tighten its grip on the later'. He claimed China’s Belt and Road Initiative has affected India’s dominance in the region. Interesting is the reference in the People's Daily article to an article under a hashtag “IndianIncursionToChina” on China’s Sina Weibo, which it claimed garnered almost 4 million views, with many Chinese netizens expressing doubts on Indian public hostility against China, adding that they cannot understand some Indian netizens’ “thirst for war.”
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