Link to article: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/11/3/india-china-himalayan-border-security-deadly-clashes
India has ramped up their Himalayan border security again after more clashes with China.They have deployed cruise missiles, howitzers, choppers and Israeli-made drones along the treacherous mountain ranges, after claims that China has set up permanent settlements on their side of the border. Both countries claim the region of Arunachal Pradesh, a majority Buddhist state. This has again become a flashpoint after since troops from both nations fought a hand-to-hand battle further west along their shared frontier, killing at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers. Each side also patrols the others side of the border, leading to the potential for more conflict. India is claiming that China is building permanent infrastructure on their side of the border, leading both sides to bring more troops to the area.
I don’t see a peaceful solution to this conflict, and talks have stalled multiple times with neither side ready to give up their claim. I think this will continue to be a major part of international news for the next few years to come, as it is two heavyweight giants who are butting heads, with a direct border. It will be interesting to see what side the United States will take in this conflict, or if they will stay neutral. It makes sense for them to position themselves towards India, but China is such a large economic partner with the United States it may be detrimental to pick a side at this time.
This relates to what we are discussing in class as the United States is currently the Unipolar power in the world but both of these countries have potential to join them at the top in the next years, making this conflict of giants that much more interesting. It will also be interesting to see who the US sides with while they are on the top, if they will side at all.