Australian scholar: wisdom will prevail in China-India border standoff

The stand-off along the India-China border is now well into its second month, with no solution in sight.

While real fears of a second border conflict remain, a former Australian-British journalist who covered the 1962 war between the two sides has warned that another conflict would be catastrophic.

He remains optimistic that the standoff will ultimately be resolved through political means.

Neville Maxwell [File Photo: China Plus/Zhang Qizhi]

In 1962, Neville Maxwell was based in New Delhi and covered the China-India war as a correspondent for the London Times newspaper. At that time, he was the only reporter who did not uncritically accept the official Indian account of events. It was a position that led to his expulsion from India. Maxwell's subsequent book "India's China War", published in 1970, is considered an authoritative analysis of that border conflict. It was widely acclaimed by the likes of the then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, and Henry Kissinger, who was then US Secretary of State.

Speaking to CRI, Maxwell says the current border stand-off comes as no surprise.

"An un-delimited border is a constant source of friction between the countries concerned. Nowhere have China and India a delimited border. Why? Because from the very beginning, India has refused to enter border negotiations. Neither of them wants conflict, but the conflict is inherent in the unsettled border. So, if it hadn't happened this year in this particular point, it will happen next year at some other point."

What has surprised him though is the tough stance taken by China, by insisting that Indian troops withdraw first before any negotiations can begin. He says, it's only natural for China to stand firm when it sees its territory trespassed by foreign troops.

Maxwell also notes that India's behavior has been far from ideal in recent years.

"India, for the past couple of years, has been steadily needling China, provoking, taking the Dalai Lama to places like Tawang, which are disputed areas; allowing American diplomats to come into these disputed areas, voice criticism of the People's Republic (of China). This needling may have irritated the Chinese leadership."

As the standoff drags on, fears of a second round China-India war are rising, but according to Maxwell, both countries are engaged in long-term campaigns to develop their respective economies and neither has an interest in war.

"I'm sure that ultimately wisdom will prevail, short of another border war, short of a second round. Because to call it just a second round is misleading: the scale would be so much greater, so much more destructive, the weaponry of both sides would be so much changed and developed. It would be not just a second round, but the beginning of, perhaps, a world war!"

Maxwell believes, as the Chinese side has remained extremely cool so far in this standoff, it's time for the Indian leadership to show some political wisdom.

"The message I would give to the Indians would be the same: cool down! Your national interests will best be served by a settled boundary with China. It's achievable, go and negotiate. Again, Mr. (Narendra) Modi has succeeded politically in rising from a small stature in life to becoming leader of one of the world's great countries, so one can hope that he too has an inner wisdom that will lead him onto the path of peace."