Hyderabad: While the entire world is looking suspiciously at China over the COVID-19 outbreak, Beijing has been taking aggressive steps in and around its borders, without trying to manage the devastating situation that it is currently undergoing. Why is it now inviting new problems by getting into fights with India? Is the Chinese leadership seriously bent towards going into war with India? Or are there any other benefits that it is trying to pursue in the guise of such aggression?
In fact, China’s conflict is not just confined to India, but also with many countries around it that have been sharing its borders. Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam are to name a few, with which China has been locking horns. It has built barriers and thus created hurdles in the flow of water into these countries, which have faced drought without water supply.
The Chinese entered into the territory of Japan’s uninhabited islands, the Senkaku Islands through underwater routes and now claim that these islands belong to the Republic of China. China made sure that Vietnamese boats were drowned in the Seas of Southern China and is further looking at ways and means to somehow corner and affect Taiwan too. The situation in Hong Kong is self-explanatory. When all these situations are analysed, it is easy to understand the impatience of the Chinese leadership.
Deteriorating economic and social situation
The worst economic situation since 1990 is the current scenario in China. China's economic growth fell by 6.8 per cent this year. A trade war with the US at a time when the economic situation is in recession; the immediate arrival of the corona epidemic worsened the situation further. This is why the Chinese government has decided not to set its own growth target this year.
The PLA Daily which is known to be a mirror image of its Communist Government, recently published an article that attracted many readers globally. It warned that the economic situation of the country on the whole is very bad and over and above, the economic and social conditions within the country are also worsening and that the situation is ready to explode at any moment. Chinese Prime Minister Li himself declared that some 60 billion people are living in poverty, earning less than $140 per month.
Border disputes
Border disputes with China are no strange things for India. And there isn’t any hope that this may end anytime soon -- the main reason being that there happens to be no specified border at all between India and China. The two countries have been involved in cross-border conflicts in the past and may very well go on in the near future. Such conflicts are a natural consequence of international diplomacy, with the pressure to gain other global 'diplomatic benefits'.
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Besides, if China really engages in the war with India, its communist government is well aware that the war shall not be limited to these countries alone. Some analysts suggest that this conflict is just a strategy of China to let the world know that the internal and external situations in India are not upto the mark and thereby create obstacles in the process of international investments in India. Thereby, a situation of concern will be created for the international corporations in order to prevent international investment from coming to India and then making sure that India shall not be able to cope up with the aftermath of the Corona epidemic.
Unemployment
Unemployment in China is skyrocketing, causing impatience and unrest amongst its people. According to official statistics, urban unemployment in China rose by over 6 per cent even before the onset of the corona epidemic, thereby creating certain unrest among the citizens. However, experts are of the opinion that the actual figures of unemployed youth in the country may be almost double the official figures being shown.
Massive infrastructure projects and building up of cities across the country, that have been taken up in the past in the name of infra development, have now seemingly become white elephants for the government exchequer. Most of the structures built are of no use now.
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The Chinese government has embarked on another massive project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Thus, for the next 20 years, many of the companies and workers in their country will be provided with hands-on work. At the same time, it has leveraged its position amongst various countries internationally, by providing them with strategic loans, thereby indebted and loyal to China.
Though India had opposed this arrangement initially itself, some countries fell to China. But now countries like Myanmar have begun to understand this strategy and are now in the process of going back on their promises on the same.
Unsatisfied voices
The aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic is also causing discontent in the country. Various other global countries have already begun to rethink on continuing their economic ties with China. Many international organizations and companies have already initiated processes to revisit their contracts with the Chinese companies.
Dr Li Wenliang, who had warned the country and openly too, on the onset of the virus, was silenced by the government due to which the government is now having to face the internal criticism too from its own citizens. China's credibility has been badly damaged due to coronavirus.
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All of this is having an emotional impact on the average Chinese citizen. Due to the Chinese government's stereotype, though not indicated openly in the media, there seems to be a rising tide of dissent, amongst the intellectuals and students of universities especially.
Discontent in Communist Party
Moreover, observers opine that there is an unseen disagreement with the Chinese leadership in their very own Communist Party, which is slowly spreading like invisible waters. President Xi Jinping's amendment to give himself the privilege of a lifetime is not helping much in creating support amongst the new generation of the country.
Millions of Communist Party activists being imprisoned, dictatorial resemblance in the ruling strategies are being disliked by the current generation of voters and the party members themselves. Unsolved concerns over a year in Hong Kong, Taiwan raising their voice against the government strategies are leading to doubts about the leadership potential of the Communist Party in China.
In order to come out of these shackles, the Chinese government seems to have resorted to taking actions such as tough decisions on Hong Kong, bringing international pressure on Taiwan, the deployment of the Chinese navy into the South Seas, creating the atmosphere of confrontation on the frontiers with India etc.
Experts feel that the Jinping government may benefit from all such actions in the sense that the Chinese government is in the process of recreating its foundation amongst its citizens along with re-establishing nationalism among its subjects, instead of claiming to threaten the world in the name of war.
