Nationalist leaders of China and India won’t deescalate: NYT reports

Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi, both share a jingoistic trait in their global outlook. Neither wants to risk losing face in a stand-off over disputed territory and won’t shy away from using muscular power.

On Monday, 20 soldiers of the Indian army were killed in a clash, brewing for over a month in the Himalayas, with Chinese troops. It is the worst phase in the last 45 years between the two Asian giants.

The NYT reported that despite major challenges at home, the supreme leaders of both countries are willing to go head-to-head against each other. They are dealing with the coronavirus which has taken a toll on their economies and their people.

Moreover, domestic support for Modi has been garnered by the Indian media to weather the Chinese scare even with a health-care crisis that is taking thousands of lives every day in the country. Howbeit, his Chinese counterpart has deftly controlled the flow of information which was made possible by a propagandist regime. It is not still clear whether China suffered fatalities in the recent clash.

According to the report, a number of Indian troops have been captured. Among those killed was the Indian commander, Col. Bikkumalla Santosh.

Many in the Indian side have called for revenge. And with the domestic jingoistic culture present in the two nations, one might see that the conflict between the two countries has little hope of deescalating.