Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
the PLA's influence grew? The magazine's foreign editor wondered whether a story about
Goujian, a fifth century king of Yue in what is now Zhejiang, was an alarming parable
about China's ambitions, as it could indeed well be. Goujian was defeated and humiliated
by another king, but bided his time as a meek prisoner and then wreaked revenge. The story
of how he 'slept on brushwood and tasted gall is as familiar to Chinese as King Alfred and
his cakes are to Britons, or George Washington and the cherry tree are to Americans,' said
the article. 'In the early 20th century he became a symbol of resistance against the treaty
ports, foreign concessions and the years of colonial humiliation'.
It looks as though Goujian-style revenge may have begun, but with an economic and
strategic slant. China has been aggressively stepping up the confrontation with Japan over
the oil-rich, uninhabited Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, as it has also done with
Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei over the Spratly and Paracel islands in the
South China Sea. It has also argued with Vietnam over oil rights, in which Indian compan-
ies have been involved, and unilaterally announced an air defence identification zone that
laid claims to international airspace over the East China Sea covering territories that China
a greater willingness to disrupt relations with neighbouring countries than in the past.
Other points of potential conflict are developing over China's 'hydro-hegemony' which
could affect one-third of India's yearly water supply that comes from Tibet. Chellaney says
that 'in contrast to the bilateral water treaties between many of its neighbours, China rejects
the concept of a water-sharing arrangement or joint, rules-based management of common
ating on China's Tibetan plateau and flowing to southern and southeastern Asia, including
the mighty Brahmaputra river which India relies on for its water. China, however, has not
been consulting India and has not given details of its plans as requested by India.
There was a sudden worsening of relations in April 2013 when 30 PLA troops not
only crossed the LAC and moved 19 km inside what India regarded as its territory on the
16,000ft-high Depsang Plain in the Ladakh sector of the disputed border. This was in the
no-man's land, or the red zone as it is called, which is the overlapping area between the
two countries' perception of their territory. It is quite common for troops from both sides to
cross into this area and then withdraw, but on this occasion the Chinese pitched tents and
stayed. A procedure agreed in 2005 for solving such a face-off was not operated by China
so, after some characteristically nervous indecision and delay, India reacted to heavy do-
mestic political and media pressure and moved its troops and tents into the disputed area in
a face-off with the Chinese. India also strengthened its previously soft diplomatic stance.
After three weeks, both sides removed their troops and withdrew from Depsang, but the
