China-India Border Standoff: CBS

China and India move troops to a disputed border, and the US president offered to mediate. “Thousands of Chinese troops have reportedly moved into an area along the eastern Ladakh border, which India considers its territory,” reports CBS News. The two nations share a border that is about 3,400 kilometers long, and both “accuse the other of trespassing.” An India television station reports that China is also expanding a military airbase about 200 kilometers away. Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at The Wilson Center, offers possible reasons for the abrupt confrontation: recent road-building in the area by both sides, India’s revocation of Article 370 protections for Kashmir autonomy and a desire to signal strength. Analysts express doubt that either side would accept Donald Trump’s offer to mediate: India would resist being viewed as dependent on another power in dealing with a neighboring state, and antagonistic US-China relations would prompt charges of bias. Kugelman describes the dispute as a setback for US interests in Asia in “push back against China.” He anticipates de-escalation, especially with all countries in the midst of fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. – YaleGlobal