Chinese Communist party mouthpiece People’s Daily cites 1962 edit to warn India
The article alleged that New Delhi was encroaching its territory behind the facade of talks and warned that there would be casualties on the Indian side.
The Communist Party of China’s (CPC) mouthpiece has cited an editorial from 1962, the year of the India-China war, to warn India against “encroaching” on its territory.
Headlined “If This Can be Tolerated, What Cannot?”, the People’s Daily accused Indian soldiers of unprovoked firing at Chinese troops across the border on September 21, 1962, and alleged that New Delhi was encroaching its territory behind the facade of talks to resolve the boundary issue.
The editorial warned that there would be casualties on the Indian side if the conflict lingers.
The piece was published in the newspaper amidst the ongoing standoff between troops of the two countries near Sikkim border. Beijing has alleged that Indian troops had “trespassed” into its Donglang (Doklam) area, which is also claimed by Bhutan.
The 1962 edit is the latest in a barrage of shrill editorials and commentaries splashed across Chinese state media against India and echoes what the Chinese government is saying now.
It termed Indian government’s “aggressive plan to encroach on our territory” as audacious and delusional.
“It is well known that the McMahon line is completely illegal and has never been recognised by successive Chinese governments. The vast area from south of the McMahon line to the foothills of the Himalayas has historically been China’s territory,” it said.
The editorial claimed that India’s attempt to “encroach” revealed the lack of desire to negotiate a settlement of the boundary issue.
“All this, in irrefutable facts, reveals that the Indian government has no desire to negotiate a peaceful settlement of the border issue. What the Indian government pursues is to use the peace talks as a cover to encroach on China’s territory and change its status quo.
“However, the patience of the Chinese government, the Chinese people and the Chinese border guards will not be unlimited,” the PD editorial said.
It warned that “in order to protect the border troops in ZeRo Bridge area of China, in order to restore their contact with the rear, China will have to take the necessary precautions”, and India will have to take responsibility for that.
“...don’t blame us that (we) didn’t warn you!” it said.