2 Nations With Nukes in Armed Standoff Over Mountain Road

China and India are in the midst of a potentially volatile border dispute centering on just 34 square miles and an unpaved road. Last month, Indian troops confronted Chinese workers trying to extend a road in a contested area known as the Doklam Plateau at the point where China, India, and Indian ally Bhutan meet. Both Bhutan and China have a claim to the area because of an ambiguous 1890 border agreement. China has vowed to avoid talks until Indian forces withdraw, but India isn't backing down, bringing the two countries, both of which have nuclear weapons, "near the brink of conflict," reports the New York Times. The latest:

  • The advantage: Experts say China has the upper hand because of the strength of its armed forces, per Bloomberg. And it apparently knows it. Addressing India, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says the solution is "very simple. That is, behave yourself and humbly retreat."
  • The road ahead: A scholar at the American Foreign Policy Council sees similarities between this border dispute and another that led to war between China and India in 1962. He tells the Times that while a negotiated settlement is most likely, war is possible.
  • Veiled threats: Editorials appearing in Chinese state-owned media have stressed China's victory in the 1962 Sino-Indian War. One published in the Global Times notes India "will suffer greater losses than in 1962 if it incites military conflicts."
  • India's response: While New Delhi is holding strong, the Times of India notes "the stridency of Chinese rhetoric has been progressively matched by an equally conciliatory tone by India."

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