China’s aggression against India reveals ‘true nature of Communist Party’: US
In the sharpest remarks yet over the ongoing border confrontation with India, United States President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that China’s aggressive stance along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh fits with a larger pattern of aggression.
Conveying Trump’s views, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that with regard to India and China, the US is closely monitoring the situation, while both the nuclear powers have expressed a desire to de-escalate. The US supports a peaceful resolution of the current situation.
The US President has said that China’s aggressive stance along the India-China border fits with a larger a pattern of Chinese aggression in other parts of the world and these actions only confirm the true nature of the Chinese Communist Party, said McEnany quoting the president from her notes at the daily briefing.
Given China’s stance against India—the clash in Ladakh on 15 June with casualties that were the first in 45 years—voices of support appear to be growing in favour of New Delhi.
Earlier, the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, taking cognisance of the Chinese aggression in the region, said that Chinese expansionism is a major challenge of our times. On Wednesday, Pompeo backed New Delhi’s move to ban 59 Chinese mobile apps on national security grounds, saying that India’s steps were to safeguard its security.
Even Democratic presidential candidate and former vice-president Joe Biden stated that if he wins the November polls, strengthening relationship with India which is the US’ “natural partner”, will be a high priority for his administration.
In response to a query on India-US relationship during a virtual fund raiser event, Biden said that “India needs to be a partner in the region for our safety’s sake, and quite frankly for theirs.”
Referring to the India-China border standoff, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that tensions over territorial claims are escalating across Indo-Pacific region, as seen recently on the disputed border between India and China, and the South China Sea, and the East China Sea.
Australia also announced $270 billion in military spending over the next decade, mainly to meet challenges in its immediate neighbourhood and the Indo-Pacific region.
On Sunday, Tokyo witnessed protests, that sought replacement of Chinese President Xi Jinping with a democratically elected responsible leader.
Acknowledgement of Beijing’s expansionist policies by the global community comes even as the Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a bitter standoff at the Galwan valley area in Eastern Ladakh. Diplomatic ties between the two countries have been stressed ever since the violent clashes on the night of June 15 resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and a heavy casualty on the Chinese side.
Meanwhile, the military is also keeping a strict vigil on the western front to deter Pakistan from fishing in troubled waters and prevent what could lead to a two-front war, officials and China watchers said on Wednesday.
Officials following recent military developments in the region discounted the likelihood of India being drawn into a war on two fronts, but asserted that the armed forces were prepared to ward off all threats.