India: Power Dread & Aksai Chin

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India has been positioning itself to be in the Premier Asian Political League, for quite some time; however, it incurs the risk of not achieving its goal if it refuses to step up the game...

From the 15th of April to the 5th of May, of the current year, there was a standoff between Indian and China (called the 2013 Daulat Beg Oldi Incident).

Brief historical summary: Aksai Chin - a territory part of Jammu & Kashmir state under a 1842 treaty signed between the Chinese and the Sikhs - has been coveted by China since the British defeated the Sikhs in 1846; but it only managed to partially usurp (and upset India over) it after India's independence from the British rule, mainly by using an interesting loophole caused by British neglect of the affair and Indian laisse-faire (on historical grounds). [Read more here]

Until last week, China, in a clear provocative action, placed troops in Indian territory and invaded Indian air space (although the Red Dragon denies it). India responded by encamping soldiers across the military Red Dragons.

But why is China doing this now? Because Beijing fears New Delhi.

India is comprised by nearly 1.3 billion people; who live in a free, democratic, society. It is building a strong middle class that will eventually demand from its government a more nationalistic stance. Moreover, India is a country that has been undergoing several reforms that render it an even more appealing market to invest in; and, for that reason, it is getting more and more powerful; therefore a menace...to China (a nation made up of over 1.3 billion people; who live under an authoritarian regime that suppresses freedom and controls everything from religion to business, and everything in between).

The Indian freedom and thrive are an inspiration to neighbouring countries (mainly in eastern and southeastern Asia), that do not wish to grant China that much power by allowing it to exert its influence over them. This means that India has an opportunity to shift the balance of power in its neighbourhood, by consolidating interesting alliances.

Having said this, the recent Daulat Beg Oldi Incident serves both as a warning (that India should not attempt to get in the way of China's Path to Regional Power; that it should think twice before, upsetting its number one trade partner by, getting too cosy with the United States and Australia; and, that in the eventuality of a military engagement with Pakistan, China would be closer to support its Urdu friend - whom it sees not only as a bridge-head for Chinese control over Central Asia but also as a stability shield for the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region) and as a distraction (by occasionally reminding India that the Aksai Chin issue is hovering over its head; the Red Dragon contains India and hinders it from "catching up with China in decades to come" [Dr. B. R. Deepak]).

Beijing fears India. The Daulat Beg Oldi Incident is testament to that; but the question is: will India have the fortitude to use China's public confession of fear to its advantage?

Check...mate...