Generational Dynamics World View

[John J. Xenakis]

*** 17-Aug-17 World View -- China opens a new front in its border war with India

This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• China opens a new front in its border war with India
  
• Survey of Bhutan's people shows high anxiety over border confrontation
  
• North Korea apparently backs down from the threat to attack Guam
  

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**** China opens a new front in its border war with India
****


Pangong Lake is in the Himalayas over 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) high on the Tibetan plateau. (AP)

With the border confrontation between China's and India's armies at
Bhutan's Doklam Plateau still simmering, China has apparently opened a
new front in another part of their 3,500 km (2,175 mile) border.

While Doklam Plateau is far to the east, Lake Pangong is on the western
part of the China-India border, actually forming part of the border
between China-occupied Tibet and the India-government portion of
Kashmir.

According to Indian sources, Chinese soldiers on Tuesday tried to
enter Indian territory at two different places. India troops blocked
the Chinese troops by forming a human chain of Indo-Tibetan Border
Police personnel. This apparently is standard fare from time to time
between the two border armies.

What was different this time was that the Chinese soldiers began
throwing stones at the Indians, for which the latter retaliated. Both
sides sustained minor injuries. According to an Indian army officer:

> [indent]<QUOTE>"Chinese troops tried to enter Indian terrain on
> Tuesday (August 15) when our soldiers were celebrating
> Independence Day.
>
> The incident occurred along the banks of Pangong Lake, a popular
> tourist attraction on the Indian side of the border in Ladakh.
>
> [After two hours,] the situation was brought under control after a
> drill which saw both sides holding up banners proclaiming their
> rights over the disputed area before stepping back to their
> respective positions."<END QUOTE>[/indent]

Apparently this banner drill is the customary way for Indian and
Chinese troops to step back from a confrontation. The border standoff
has been going on for yet, but so far, no bullets have been fired for
decades.

However, the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC - as the
India-China border is called) has been deteriorating since April, and
has been escalating since the Doklam standoff began in June. China's
president Xi Jinping was apparently caught by surprise when Indian
troops came to Bhutan's defense at the Doklam Plateau, and now has to
decide whether to start a border war or to stand down. Either
approach could be a major humiliation for him at the Communist
People's Congress in November.

What was China's side of the story? By the end of the day on
Wednesday, China denied knowing anything about the confrontation.
Greater Kashmir and The Hindu and India West and The Quint

****
**** Survey of Bhutan's people shows high anxiety over border confrontation
****

Bhutan, caught between the two giants India and China in the standoff
over Bhutan's Doklam Plateau, is the perfect potential example of the
old saying, "When the elephants fight, the grass gets stomped." A
recent analysis of the social media in Bhutan shows that most
Bhutanese would favor a better diplomatic relationship with China.
However, Bhutanese are aware that China's army invaded Tibet and
simply annexed it, and most Bhutanese worry that China would do the
same to Bhutan -- invade Bhutan and annex Doklam Plateau or all of
Bhutan. The Diplomat

Related: China and India prepare for border war at Doklam Plateau (12-Aug-2017)

****
**** North Korea apparently backs down from the threat to attack Guam
****


Kim Jong-un inspects the army's proposed plans for launching missiles towards Guam on Monday (KCNA)

North Korea has apparently backed down from the threat to launch
ballistic missiles at Guam, which contains US military bases. As he
had previously promised, North Korea's child dictator Kim Jong-un
waited for the presentation from the Korea People's Army (KPA), and
received a briefing on Monday. After hearing the presentation, he
announced that he would "give the Americans a little more time."

There are two theories about why he backed down. One is that he was
responding to President Donald Trump's threat to unleash "fire and
fury" on North Korea, and later adding that the military options are
"locked and loaded." The second theory is that China forced North
Korea to back down. However, no one doubts that Kim could change his
mind again at any time. 38 North and
North Korea Leadership Watch

Related: Japan will shoot down N. Korean missiles via 'collective self-defense' (13-Aug-2017)


KEYS: Generational Dynamics, India, China, Pagong Lake, Tibet,
Bhutan, Doklam Plateau,
North Korea, Kim Jong-un, Guam

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John J. Xenakis
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