New Delhi: In a classic demonstration of Chinese double-standards, President Xi Jinping on Saturday asked his US counterpart, Donald Trump, to avoid remarks and actions that could escalate the already-tense situation in the Korean peninsula over North Korea’s aggressive behaviour.
Beijing’s desperation stems from its awareness of the military and economic consequences of starting a war with India, which has a strong military.
On Saturday, Mr Xi and Mr Trump spoke over phone to discuss the escalating tension after Kim Jong-Un threatened to fire missiles at Guam, a US island territory. Mr Xi told Mr Trump that China is ready to work with the US to “appropriately resolve” the issue, state-run Xinhua reported. “The concerned parties should avoid remarks and actions that could escalate tensions on the peninsula,” Mr Xi was quoted as saying.
But Beijing is unwilling to show the same wisdom in its dealings with New Delhi over the Doklam stand-off. China regards Doklam as its territory and calls it Dong Lang even as it has conveniently ignored a Bhutanese government statement in June calling Chinese road-construction in the area a violation of the understanding between China and Bhutan. Instead, Beijing has claimed, without any proof, that the Bhutanese have acknowledged they don't have any claim over the Doklam area. China has demanded that India withdraw its troops from Doklam even as it is unwilling to withdraw its own troops.
