After the United States called for an immediate online UN Security Council meeting to discuss and debate the draconian national security law for Hong Kong, China has extended reconciliatory messages to India.
Chinese Ambassador to India, Sun Weidong told select Indian media that, “China and India should never let their differences shadow the overall bilateral ties and must enhance mutual trust.”
“China and India should be good neighbours of harmonious coexistence and good partners to move forward hand in hand. The realisation of ‘Dragon and Elephant dancing together’ is the only right choice for China and India, which serves the fundamental interests of our two countries and two peoples,” the Chinese envoy added.
BIG BREAKING @ians_india: China extends olive branch to India after the US offers to “arbitrate” and at the same time, seeks an immediate discussion at the UN Security Council on China’s new legislation against Hong Kong, citing threat to international peace and security.
— Aarti Tikoo Singh (@AartiTikoo) May 28, 2020
After weeks of talks held between senior generals and diplomats of India and China over the standoff in East Ladakh, China has still not deescalated in this region and the threat of conflict still looms large. There is growing concern that if armed conflict breaks out, it might not be limited to just one theatre as the borders with Pakistan are not that far from this place.
Indian and Chinese soldiers are still facing each other at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) apart from the unrelenting damage caused that the Wuhan virus has caused to the country.
After the US requested for an immediate online UN Security Council meeting to discuss how China’s new legislation is crushing the dissent in Hong Kong, an angry and isolated China has called this move a direct interference into its internal matters.
China’s Ambassador to the UN, Zhang Jun tweeted that “Beijing categorically rejects the baseless request of the US for a Security Council meeting” and “legislation on national security for Hong Kong is purely China’s internal affairs”.
The US has called the new national security law proposed by the Communist regime in Beijing, “a matter of urgent global concern that implicates international peace and security, and warrants the immediate attention of the UN Security Council”.
President Donald Trump who has a habit of wading into international issues has sent Beijing into a tizzy when he tweeted that “Washington was willing to mediate or arbitrate in the “raging border dispute”.
This comes right after what some see as his diplomatic victory in the Middle East when the United Arab Emirates and Israel decided to recognise each other as nations and have established diplomatic relations.
Even though China has sent a reconciliatory message to India, however, it must be taken with a pinch of salt because China has a habit of going back in its words as it continues to build its military capabilities in the LAC. Just last week, reports emerged of Chinese PLA soldiers desecrating Mount Kailash and Mansarovar by building hotels and campls along with placing of surface to air missiles.
In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that “now the China-India border area situation is overall stable and controllable”. What this means is China does not want any discussion on Hong Kong but it will keep escalating tensions with most of its neighbours.