Alert at 1961: China’s new moves on the horizon

Dipak Kurmi

(The writer can be reached at dipaknewslive@gmail.com.)

The passage begins with a reflection on the sixty-one years that have elapsed since October 20, 1962, marking the commencement of the Sino-Indian war initiated by the founder and leader of Communist China. The primary aim of this conflict was to humiliate India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, renowned globally as an advocate for peace, non-violence, and harmony—a practitioner of “live-and-let-live” principles in the post-Western imperialism era of the Third World. In stark contrast to Nehru, Mao, responsible for millions of deaths during his ascent to power in Beijing in 1949, presents an unparalleled dichotomy. As a disciple and chosen successor of Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru’s ideals and approach stand in sharp contrast to Mao’s controversial and tumultuous path to leadership.

In the post-colonial landscape of Asia and Africa, democratic India emerged as a beacon of hope for newly liberated nations. Conversely, the People’s Republic of China, under the leadership of a belligerent figure with a murderous ideology, stood as a pariah state. This leader, having fought against the United Nations in Korea and ruthlessly invaded peaceful Tibet, forcing the Dalai Lama into exile in India, exemplified the stark contrast between the democratic Prime Minister in New Delhi and the autocratic ruler of the Dragon. The magnitude of this dichotomy prompted Mao to establish himself as a “true” “Son of Heaven,” extending his gaze beyond the Hwang Ho valley to the sub-Himalayan terrain.

The sinister intentions of Mao, laid bare in the aftermath of the 1962 conflict, now stand exposed in public records. Archives disclose a meeting that transpired in Beijing in December 1967 between Mao and a cadre of Naxal leaders from India. Shockingly, Mao expressed a willingness to resolve the border dispute with India by ceding the land south of the McMahon Line, under the condition that a ‘people’s government’ ascended to power in New Delhi. The Communist Party of China’s leader made several suggestions, asserting that his interest wasn’t in the 90,000 sq km of land but in countering what he deemed a ‘capitalist and feudal government’ in India.

Li Danhui from East China Normal University, armed with insights from Chinese archives, unveils a lesser-known yet significant historical detail: “Given India’s status as an imperialist, feudal, and bureaucrat-capitalist government, China found itself compelled to engage in a relentless struggle for every inch of territory, employing deliberate delays in addressing the matter.” Evidently, the overarching objective was the dismantling of Nehru’s leadership and his subsequent downfall.

In his capacity as the current ‘core leader’ of the CPC, Chairman Xi Jinping identifies himself as a self-proclaimed reincarnation of Mao. It becomes pertinent to examine the sentiments of his revered predecessor, Mao Zedong, in 1938, expressing disdain for political systems that did not align with the CPC’s autocratic tendencies. Mao, referring to China’s war of resistance, characterized it as an extraordinary spectacle in the annals of warfare. He asserted that this conflict would not only shape the destinies of China and Japan but would also propel the progress of nations, particularly those oppressed, such as India, to advance in the future (Selected Works of Mao Zedong, Volume II).

The present concern revolves around a substantial portion of naive and uninformed Indians fixating on China and indulging in a pervasive addiction to all things Chinese. Regrettably, this collective folly is steering the ship of the Indian State gradually but inexorably towards perilous rocks. While Mao’s primary focus in 1962 was territorial, the current agenda of CPC leader Xi Jinping in 2023 extends to enticing economic, commercial, and lucrative money-making opportunities.

In the current landscape, the primary objective of the Xi Brigade is the obliteration of Delhi. Virtually every country in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, regardless of size, is being enticed to pay homage to Mr. Xi’s court. Notably, India stands as a significant exception, displaying defiance despite a staggering $100 billion-plus trade deficit, the erosion of its automobile industry due to CPC’s companies, humiliating and irreversible territorial losses, the ingrained addiction of cost-conscious Indian consumers to affordable Chinese-made phones and various electronic devices, and the detrimental impact on industry orchestrated by a substantial number of import-leaning traders colluding with CPC-sponsored agent provocateurs masquerading as merchants.

In the midst of this sombre backdrop, a glimmer of hope emerges. Despite their often-criticized status, India’s law enforcement agencies are undertaking commendable efforts on the China front. Revelations in court filings by the Enforcement Directorate reveal a substantial remittance of Rs 1.07 trillion (about $13 billion) outside India by the Chinese company Vivo to trading entities controlled by its Chinese parent. This convoluted financial manoeuvre, laden with masking layers designed to evade the notice of the Government of India, is highlighted. Despite the absence of profits in statutory filings and the non-payment of income tax from 2014–15 to 2019–20, significant sums have been surreptitiously syphoned out of India. In a stark illustration, the Enforcement Directorate estimated a staggering figure of Rs 624.7 billion ($7.5 billion) remitted abroad, predominantly to China, in the sole month of July 2022.

Vivo, however, is just the tip of the CPC’s criminal gang iceberg in India. Although the Indian media does occasionally refer to chronic Chinese shenanigans, a Western media outfit put it much more starkly: “Inside the deadly loan apps that blackmail with nudes, the Chinese-masterminded blackmail scam is using instant loan apps to entrap and humiliate people across India”. The Chinese criminals not only make billions but are also killing Indians inside their homes. How will the CPC’s overlord react if the same thing happens in the reverse direction?

As German car manufacturers and European business leaders diligently court Mr. Xi, seeking to bolster exports and garner favour from their respective governments, and a procession of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet members and senior officials make frequent journeys to Beijing, the question arises: Will the arrest of Vivo’s top Chinese executives and their associates in India reignite tensions? Will the Chinese undertake fresh efforts to assail New Delhi on multiple fronts, aiming to cripple its finances, economy, trade, and commerce, while strategically posturing diplomatically in front of its South Asian neighbours through heightened activities along the sub-Himalayan frontier?

Amidst President Biden’s anticipation of a forthcoming in-person meeting with President Xi at the significant APEC summit in the United States next month, India is unsettling the waters for China by apprehending their citizens engaged in illicitly amassing billions for a Beijing state enterprise governed by the CPC as its personal dominion. All of this occurs as Mr. Xi envisions himself on the brink of shaping the destiny of mankind, alongside Mr. Biden, in San Francisco in November.

The motivation behind Xi Jinping’s strategy is evident. He perceives himself as a “worthy torchbearer” of the late Chairman Mao, and in his pursuit of India, he sees the last bastion obstructing the Dragon Emperor from having a significant part of the world fall unquestioningly at his feet!