NEW DELHI: China’s new border management law was approved by the country’s parliament over the weekend. It apparently flows from President Xi Jinping’s thinking that strengthening borders with neighbours is essential to Beijing’s global ambitions.
Prof Srikanth Kondapalli, who teaches and researches on China at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru University, spoke to StratNewsGlobal about the import of this law. In his view, it is about China’s settled borders with neighbours like Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Vietnam. Yet, even in these areas there remain certain points where there are issues.
Prof Kondapalli believes India and Bhutan may no be not be directly affected by the law now since China’s borders with both countries remain in dispute. Nevertheless, the enhanced PLA presence here and the growth of border towns and villages are pointers to how Beijing is weaponising a variety of instruments to ensure its writ runs on the border.
Tune in to this conversation on StratNewsGlobal with Prof Srikanth Kondapalli.
