Chinese policy : My way or the Mao way

Welcome to PRC

• Introduction

China or The people's Republic of China (PRC), the 3rd largest country with area of 9.5 million sq. Km, a population of 1.4 billion (highest on the planet) and an economy of US$ 13.5 trillion (2nd largest) and with 2nd largest military power on the planet, has been leading Asia to be the power centre of the world. From flexing muscles in oceans to power show off in space, China prompted with an intend to lead the world. 

But racing to either lead the world or to establish oneself as superpower had never been as easy as to make Chinese momos. 

With an ambition to lead the world, to be a super power, China and Chinese government took every prerequisite measures and bold steps, from opening the economy for globalization to be turned into a manufacturing hub for the world. 

But as it's said every story have it's dark part and in China's case the military flexing which it maintained with other 'prerequisite' actions to reach its ambition was that part. 

China borders with record 14 countries and has been engaged with border disputes with more or less nearly all. The Chinese way of executing plans on border has always been intimidating and and excessively aggressive. 

Claiming Lands with older maps as reference which has nothing pertinent to the issue, initiating construction with claiming as part of Chinese territory has been a classic Chinese way of its 'Expentionary' policies to take over others land. 

Here we will try to point out some major border disputes of China with its neighbors. 

• South China Sea and others

(everything belongs to me) 

Disputed area and Islands

With 22,117 km of borders with 14 countries China is involved in numerous overlapping territorial disputes in its neighborhood. 

According to the Reports of journal Council on Foreign Relations, China claims on 90% of South China Sea regarding it as it's "Exclusive economic zone".The US geological surveys says, the South China Sea as much as of 290 Trillion cubi feet of natural gas and comprise of nearly 1/10th of global annual fish catch, further more according to Chinese geological survey South China Sea contains nearly 17 billion tons of 'Crude oil' deposit which is more then the total deposit of Quatar which is 13 billion ton(now that's lucrative reason of claim). 

China has continued to build military and industrial infrastructure on the artificial islands created by her itself. The region is claimed by several more countries comprising Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Since the early 70s countries started claiming islands in the sea. Spartly, woody, parcel and several more rich in natural energy resources. 

Some major disputes:-

China vs japan: 

Both of these sea neighbors shares a lot culturally and are engaged in certain heated disputes on there different claims. SENKAKU islands in East china Sea is disputed between these two. Korean studies says it's in 1970 when china started questioning the sovereignty of the islands after evidence related to oil reserves were found. 

China vs Philippines:

Philippines dragged china into the the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS over China's "nine-dotted line" claim, whic is refered as the demarcation line used by China and Taiwan for there claims over South China Sea. In July 2016 the tribunal gave it's judgement in favor of Philippines rejecting Chinese 'historic right', but China however rejected the ruling.

China also refused to participate in any arbitration case. 

China vs Vietnam and others:

China, Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia fought a long border war between 1979-1990. The centre of disputes was spartly and parcel islands. The above mentioned countries also have there claims on parts of spartly islands. 

With Russia and Pakistan:

China has also been in border disputes with it's current trading and strategic partners Russia and Pakistan. 
With Russia, mountainous borders of thousands of sq. Kms were disputed, which however resulted in a peaceful outcome. 
In 1969 a major fight broke out on disputed Zhenbao island, left nearly 100 deaths. In 1991 an agreement signed which recognised the island as Chinese territory. 
Similarly with Pakistan in 1962 an agreement Pakistan recognised China as a member of UN, and Pakistan handed over land to China and recognised it's control. 

China invariably has been involved in intimidating and terrorising it's neighbors through it's military power. 

China also claims Taiwan to be it's part, while Taiwan calls itself as sovereign and independent country. China imposes it's ONE CHINA POLICY on the world while calling it universal.

Taiwan is in east China Sea claimed by China and Japan. 

• Chinese ambitions

(The JINPING plan) 

Silk route

The proposed BRI

Xi Jinping, president of China and the General secretary of ruling communist Party of china has been very ambitious since he came to office in 2013. The president proposed to revitalize the ancient SILK ROUTE which was a historic trading route linking Asia and Europe through China which he named BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE(BRI). 

The BRI was announced in 2013 an Economic trading corridor joining Asia, Europe and Africa, taking China on the top of geo-economic chain and providing mutual benifits to the participants. 

It was called 'Chinese Marshall plan'. 

The BRI has been called a 21st century silk route proposed to go through 71 countries in 3 continents comprising of half of world population and a quarter of world GDP. 

However several reports have claimed that some of the participant countries of BRI are viciously trapped in the depth trap of Chinese government and are helpless with no option but to accept China's words by giving there islands and lands on lease. Srilanka has been a very perfect example if this dupery as they gave there post Hambantota on a lease to a Chinese company for 99 years. 

Similarly the 'China Pakistan economic corridor' launched in 2015 coasting $46 billion passing from the pakitan occupied Kashmir and Gilgit baltistan.

• The CPEC

The CPEC is a party of BRI linking Xinjiang of China to the Gwadar port of Pakistan providing a direct link to middle-east for Chinese products and good. 

The Gilgit baltistan area is a disputed region claimed by India as it's integral part, however being administered by Pakistan. And since the initiation if the project India has been consistently standing, protesting against the harm to it's sovereignty and national integrity. 

• Disputes with India

( let's tease India) 

India is considered most volatile after Taiwan in terms of border dispute with China. Sharing a border of 4056 km from laddakh to Arunanchal pradesh and the border is called LAC(line of actual control) 

China claims lots of land of India including Arunachal pradesh and Aksai chin. 

China attacked India in 1962 on both east and west sides defeating India and seizing the Aksai chin before cease fire. 

Both the neighbor countries are rising nuclear gaints both economically and militarily in Asia.

Doklam standoff

China also claims parcels of land from Nepal and Bhutan. These claims sometimes results in violent standoffs and skirmishes. In 2017, one of such disputes resulted in nearly 2 and a half months standoff at Doklam tri-junction where India was defending Bhutan from Chinese transgressions building road and encroaching into Bhutanese territory. 

A same fight brokeout in 1967 on Sikkim China border resulted casualties of 300 Chinese and nearly 100 Indian soldiers. 

Since there is no demarcation of border between the 2 neighbors there is always cross borders activities resulting in certain standoffs, but due to the present mechanism of dealing locally on local issues has resulted in not a bullet being fired on borders since many decades. 

China however now, as I write this blog has trespassed about 3-4 km into LAC and have started building military and transportation infrastructure. This new transgression started from may 5th in Sikkim's nakula. Both the sides have deployed additional troops. 

Spectators have claimed that the Chinese are trying to test India but have underestimated the Indian government response. 
Few others have claimed that this may be an aggressive reply to India which formerly endorsed the WHO probe on China regarding COVID19. 

China has been involved in several fronts including Hongkong, threat of the US actions on dying democracy and liberty of Hongkong. Chinese leadership is also being annoyed from increasing acceptance regarding Taiwan. 

But can the existing Xi Jinping regime be able to handle the outrage against China globally and the internal question of his compatibility with coping up with the current scenario? 

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