China's Aggressive Expansionist Foreign Policy

       CHINA'S ASSERTIVE STANCE

We have witnessed that China has been following "expansionist" foreign policy since the COVID-19 pandemic has happened. Even though China has been blamed for mishandling of Coronavirus and allowing it to spread all over the world it is still following its aggressive policy.

HONG KONG

▪On June 30 , China passed a National Security Law for Hong Kong.

▪The details of the new law's 66 Articles were kept secret until after it was passed. The new legislation mainly targets protesters with harsher punishments.

▪The law criminalises any act of - Secession, Subversion, Terrorism (violence) and Collusion(with foreign forces). These 4 offences can attract life imprisonment as the maximum punishment, followed by lesser penalties.

▪US has criticised this law called it "draconian" law.

▪UK and Australia have come up to offer visas to Hong Kong residents.

INDIA

▪The Indian and Chinese armies engaged in the standoff in Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie in eastern Ladakh.

▪In June 2020, twenty Indian Army personnel, including the Commanding Officer of 16^th Bihar Regiment, lost their lives at the hands of Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh ( China has not told about their casualties). 

▪This was an unprovoked attack by the Chinese border troops on Indian soldiers, after confirming the implementation of the de-escalation plan by the Chinese in Galwan valley.

BHUTAN

▪China raised a new, non-existent dispute with Bhutan at a virtual meeting of the GEF held on 2-3 June.

▪The area China is claiming of Bhutan's does not share boundaru with China and Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary also comes under the area clamied by China.

SOUTH CHINA SEA

▪While most countries in the Indo-Pacific region are battling against the coronavirus pandemic, China has been aggressive in the SCS, particularly against Indonesia and Vietnam.

▪Chinese fishing fleets have been encroaching into the areas that are considered exclusive by the Indonesia.

▪In April, China rammed into and sank a Vietnamese shipping boat with 8 fishermen on board while they were out fishing in the Paracel Islands which are controlled by China but claimed by Vietnam also.

▪US had also sent its Aircraft Carries to the SCS.

▪At the 36th ASEAN summit, Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines and Brunei have pitted against China who has been making territorial claims in the region.

▪China has given names to 80 geographical features in the disputed SCS in the latest move to assert its territorial claims in the region.

TAJIKISTAN 

▪In August, official outlets of People's Republic of China (PRC) repeatedly republished an article by Chinese historian, Cho Yao Lu, who says that the entire Pamir region belonged to China at one time and consequently, he implies, Tajikistan should now or in the future return it to China.

WHY IS CHINA BEING SO AGGRESSIVE ?

▪"Great historical progress always happens after major disasters" Xi said during his vist to Xi'an Jiaotong University.

▪ In 2018 Xi Jinping became President for life by making changes in the Chinese Constitution. However this coronavirus pandemic happening in just 2 years of his long presidency has ruined his image in China and globally.

▪Hence Xi Jinping is trying to divert the attention away from Coronavirus disaster and achieve something regionally to repair his image.