India’s latest row with Pakistan adds to tensions in Himalayan region after China border clash
- New Delhi has expelled diplomats from Islamabad as relations between the arch-rivals worsen
- Observer sees it as a critical juncture for the two countries and regional players such as China and the United States
Chinese observers were concerned relations between India and Pakistan could further deteriorate, warning it would not only set them on a dangerous collision course, but may also have implications in the region.
According to them, the Indian subcontinent was at one of its most dangerous moments in history, with distrust and nationalist sentiment rising amid long-running territorial disputes, historical grievances and tensions over economic and geopolitical interests.
“The already tense India-Pakistan relations are on the course of a risky cycle of escalation towards violence and conflict,” said Sun Shihai, an expert on South Asian affairs at Sichuan University.
He said it was a critical juncture for both countries, and for major regional players such as China and the United States, “because an all-out armed conflict or a war would be the last thing anyone wants to see”.
02:03
China says India should take ‘entire responsibility’ for deadly border clash
