Tactics won’t help with negotiations

Indian troops in the border region continued with provocative actions against China, such as firing in the air, to increase leverage in its negotiations with China. But experts warned on Wednesday that this could make it difficult for the two sides to reach an agreement to de-escalate tensions, and would even spark a conflict before winter.

Chinese analysts said that Indian diplomats and the military are playing an old game – being tough and aggressive at the front line but pragmatic and reasonable at the negotiating table. To handle this, China is also fully prepared for any possibility – reach an agreement with India to realize full disengagement, or prepare for battle if the negotiations collapse and India escalates the crisis.

The Chinese military and foreign ministry on Tuesday sla for firing first in the mmed indian forcesMonday border clash and illegally crossing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) again, which it said had destroyed tranquility on the China-India border since 1975, demanding India punish the personnel who fired the provocative shot and avoid similar incidents.

The Indian army’s firing of shots, the first time in more than four decades in a border region between China and India, is an extremely dangerous act, and broke the tacit understanding reached by both sides not to use firearms, Chinese experts said, noting that the risk of accidentally sparking another conflict is increasing.