Why an Obscure Strip of Land in the Himalayas is Important for the Free World

by Lawrence A. Franklin  •  September 7, 2017 at 4:00 am

• India's withdrawal already has served China's interest: to pressure Bhutan and Nepal to resist seeking help from New Delhi to defend their sovereignty. China wants these small Himalayan countries to view India as an unreliable ally, and probably hopes they will begin looking to Beijing for protection and leadership.
• Where the wider region is concerned, China most likely considers India's capitulation as a signal to other countries engaged in territorial disputes with it -- such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Japan -- to succumb to bilateral negotiations with Beijing, rather than solicit international or multilateral organizations to negotiate for them. All of these states, which are either U.S. allies or have friendly relations with America, are keenly aware of their vulnerability in the face of China's growing military power.
• The United States must not allow China to intimidate India and other friendly regional states. Rather, it must support the banding together of those countries to defy Beijing and contain Chinese expansionism. American influence in the Pacific is at stake.

(Image source: Nilesh shukla/Wikimedia Commons)

A months-long confrontation between China and India over an obscure piece of land -- the Doklam plateau in the Himalayas -- has serious implications that should not be minimized or ignored.

China's decision to pick a fight with India near their mutual border with the Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan is not just a local issue: the regional altercation could have global repercussions.

The crisis was sparked early in the summer of 2017, when China constructed a road inside Bhutan, an ally of India's. (Bhutan's border is internationally recognized, but China rejects its legitimacy, claiming that the area is really part of southern Tibet.) In response, Indian troops entered the disputed territory on June 12 and faced off with Chinese soldiers and road construction crews. No shots were fired, however brawling ensued.

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