OT: China redraws the map

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China recently issued an official map of China. This has angered several of China’s neighbors.

  1. India disputes China’s map.
    China provokes India with a new official map – DW – 08/30/2023

A new national map published by the Chinese government has sparked an outcry in India, exacerbating tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

The version of the Chinese map published on the website of the Ministry of Natural Resources clearly shows India’s northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing considers to be part of Tibet, and the Doklam Plateau, over which the two sides have feuded in recent years, included within Chinese borders, along with Aksai Chin in the western section, which China controls but India still claims.

Responding to China’s claim, an Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said: “We reject these claims as they have no basis.”

Foreign Minister Jaishankar Subhramanyam also dismissed the new map, saying, “Making absurd claims on India’s territory does not make it China’s territory.”

  1. Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia reject China’s latest South China Sea map

China released the map on Monday of its famous U-shaped line covering about 90% of the South China Sea, a source of many of the disputes in one of the world’s most contested waterways, where more than $3 trillion of trade passes each year.

The Philippines called on China on Thursday “to act responsibly and abide by its obligations” under international law and a 2016 arbitral ruling that had declared the line had no legal grounds.

Malaysia said it had filed a diplomatic protest over the map.

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You may be aware that China built several artificial islands in the South China sea in recent years, and now has military airstrips on a few of them.

The dispute between India and China is interesting, since the BRICS organization recently held meetings. Both India and China are part of BRICS. I suppose it is more of an economic collaboration. BRICS isn’t like NATO. Still, it is interesting how India and China have these bitter border disputes, yet appear to get along with each other in BRICS. There has actually been violent clashes between Chinese and Indian troops in recent years in the disputed Himalayan areas.

  • Pete
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China and Vietnam have an ongoing territorial dispute over the Paracel Islands. The islands are internationally recognized as belonging to Vietnam however they are currently administered by China(Territorial disputes of the People's Republic of China - Wikipedia)

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Both sides have agreed to ban military weapons in the disputed areas, so when they have these border clashes they go at each other with big sticks. As in sticks cut off trees. They just go at it and try to beat each other to death. Mind you, these are two nuclear powers using sticks in battle. Which is progress in a way I suppose, but still pretty crazy.

China is also building part of their Silk Road initiative through an area of Pakistan that is claimed by India and that is a cause of tension as well.

Conflicts like these is why BRICS accomplished almost nothing in 20 years. Although this year BRICS did welcome Saudi Arabia and Iran into the club. In keeping with the BRICS spirit, those two countries are currently fighting a proxy war in Yemen, resulting in a major humanitarian crisis.

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I forget who I said it to…oh yeah…Goof.

The politics are from 500 years ago across most of the globe. The bigotries and infighting are very long held positions.

The US like the UK can decide what works for us. The Chinese and Indians would be as well. But their leaderships have always done a crappy job of it. Modi included. India is wasting money like a drunken sailor these days. Local friend who came from India wishes he was back in India. His family is making fortunes. But I can see it, easy come easy go. India has gone mad.

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