<ul><li>India and Bangladesh are set to inaugurate a new railway line that will resume trans-border railway connectivity between the two countries after 55 years. </li><li>It will also serve as a way for India to bolster its connectivity to Chicken’s Neck, also called the <keyword id="1088089" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Siliguri-corridor">Siliguri Corridor</keyword>, that connects the rest of the country to the eight northeastern states. </li><li>The slender transit zone is flanked by China, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.</li></ul>India and Bangladesh are set to inaugurate a new railway line that will connect West Bengal to Chilahati across the border on December 16. On paper, the route will serve to improve trade and trans-border railway connectivity will resume between the two countries after a gap of five decades.<br /><br />But, on the ground, the 75-kilometre long railway line will bring the rest of India a little closer to the ‘Chicken’s Neck’, also called the Siliguri Corridor, to counter China’s <a href="https://theprint.in/defence/chinese-pla-patrolling-in-arunachal-time-for-action-on-the-border-bjp-mp-tapir-gao/443248/">growing aggressiveness</a> in the North East. <br /><br />According to the <a href="https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/twisting-india-s-chicken-s-neck">Lowly Institute</a>, it’s integral that India saves its Chicken’s Neck from China — especially considering that it’s already locked in a face-off against the dragon in Eastern Ladakh. <br /><br />  <div type="image" title="chicken&amp;#39;s neck" msid="79750861" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Chicken&amp;#39;s Neck that connects the rest of India to its eight northeastern states&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br />The thin stretch of land gets its name from being only 22-kilometres wide. And, it will be less than 100 kilometres from the new railway line. <br /><br />The narrow bridge of land is the only connection between the rest of India and its eight north-eastern states. At the same time, the slender transit zone is flanked by China, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. <br /><br /><strong>‘Chicken’s Neck’ is a point of strategic anxiety for India<br /></strong>In the past, Nath-La Pass and <keyword id="4708082" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="doklam">Doklam</keyword>, have served as the stage for the two Asian giants to battle their claims. And, for China to take over Chicken’s Neck, it would only have to move its army inland by 130 kilometres.<br /><br />The strategic anxiety around the region is only heightened by China’s continued road and airstrip construction activities on its side of the border, which could allow it to mobilise rapidly in the region. <br /><br />Cognizant of the threat, the area is constantly patrolled by a number of entities including the Indian Army, the Assam Rifles, the Border Security Force, and the West Bengal Police. India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) is also known to closely monitor activity in the region as well. <br /><br />India is also looking at fast-tracking the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India Nepal (BBIN) initiative which will boost connectivity among the South Asian neighbours through rail and road.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/facebook-ceo-mark-zuckerberg-and-reliance-industries-mukesh-ambani-spoke-but-had-no-chemistry/articleshow/79739547.cms">Zuckerberg spoke to Ambani but there was no chemistry — even with a multi-million dollar partnership between them</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/hdfc-bank-ceo-aditya-puri-says-banks-must-change-every-3-4-years/articleshow/79734617.cms">"Banks must change every 3-4 years," says Aditya Puri, the recently retired chairman of HDFC Bank, dubbed as 'the world's best banker'</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/pornhub-adult-video-streaming-website-deletes-over-9-million-videos-to-remove-child-porn/articleshow/79732612.cms">Two in every three Pornhub videos are gone after a purge to remove child porn</a></strong><br />

After 55 years, India will inaugurate a new railway line with Bangladesh to save its ‘Chicken’s Neck’ from China

<br /><ul><li><strong>Chinese President <keyword id="191809" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Xi-Jinping">Xi Jinping</keyword> will visit India from October 11 to 12.</strong></li><li><strong>This is the 2nd informal summit between Modi and Xi</strong></li><li><strong>The first one was held last year at the Chinese city of Wuhan, which enabled the two countries to normalise the relations on all fronts after the 73-day standoff between the two militaries at Doklam in 2017.<br /></strong></li></ul>Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit India from October 11 to 12 to take part in the 2nd informal summit with Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> during which they are expected to hold comprehensive talks on a host of issues concerning the bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues.<br /><br />Xi will attend the second informal meeting with Modi at Mamallapuram near Chennai from October 11 to 12 and pay a state visit to Nepal on October 13, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Wednesday.<br /><br />This is the 2nd informal summit between Modi and Xi. The first one was held last year at the Chinese city of Wuhan, which enabled the two countries to normalise the relations on all fronts after the 73-day standoff between the two militaries at Doklam in 2017.<br /><br />The standoff took place over the Chinese military's plan to build a road close to the narrow Siliguri corridor also known as Chicken Neck corridor connecting the North-Eastern states.<br /><br />The standoff ended with both sides withdrawing from the standoff site after the Chinese military called off its road building plans.<br /><br />The Wednesday's announcement about Xi's visit to India by <keyword id="1334" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>, coincides with the ongoing visit of Pakistan Prime Minister <keyword id="14676" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Imran-Khan">Imran Khan</keyword> and its Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.<br /><br />Khan who arrived on Tuesday held talks with Premier Li Keqiang and expected to meet Xi on Wednesday.<br /><br />Khan's visit is taking place at a time when tensions have spiked between Pakistan and India after New Delhi ended the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5.<br /><br />Ahead of Xi's visit, China on Tuesday however, said the Kashmir issue should be resolved between New Delhi and Islamabad, significantly omitting its recent references to the UN and UN Security Council resolutions.<br /><br />Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang's comments marked a significant shift on what China has been saying on Kashmir in recent weeks in the aftermath of India's move to revoke <keyword id="405091" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Article-370">Article 370</keyword> of the Constitution removing the special status to Kashmir.

Chinese Premiere Xi Jinping to visit India from October 11-12

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59775532552be5ad008b6521-2400/rtx1qur2.jpg" alt="china parade" data-mce-source="Reuters" data-mce-caption="Chinese troops march during the military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in Beijing, China, September 3, 2015." /><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Chinese troops march during the military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War Two, in Beijing, China, September 3, 2015.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Buried in the Himalayas in the Siliguri Corridor, also known as the Chicken's neck, Chinese and Indian military forces sit on the respective sides of their vague borders and entrench themselves for what could become a shooting war between nuclear powers.</p><p>Both Beijing and New Delhi see the conflict as a shoving match for dominance in the Himalayas, an age-old struggle between the two states that most recently went hot in 1962, before either state had perfected nuclear bombs.</p><p>But now a Chinese construction project aiming to build a road that can support 40 ton vehicle traffic threatens a critical passage in India and risks alienating New Delhi from its ally, Bhutan.</p><p>As China asserts sovereignty over the disputed border zone with the building project, Indian troops have entrenched themselves, according to <a href="http://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2103881/dispatch-doklam-indians-dig-long-haul-standoff-china?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=EBB%2007.25.2017&amp;utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a dispatch from the South China Morning Post</a>. </p><p>"New bunkers are being built, the ground is being mined to pre-empt Chinese attack, machine-gun nests are being placed at strategic points, and soldiers are performing battle drills at least twice a day," according to the Post. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59774bc15d8a2f25008b4f3d-474/chickensneckindia.jpg" alt="Chickens neck india Siliguri Corridor" data-mce-source="Wikimedia Commons" data-mce-caption="The Chicken's Neck-also known as the Siliguri Corridor-is a narrow strip of land, 24 kilometres (15 mi) in width separating India from its northeast states. The area is marked in red. Note that the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir is divided between India, China, and Pakistan (the coloured areas represent the parts which are not under control of India)." /><p class="source"><span>Wikimedia Commons</span></p><p class="caption">  The Chicken's Neck-also known as the Siliguri Corridor-is a narrow strip of land, 24 kilometers (15 mi) in width separating India from its northeast states. The area is marked in red. Note that the disputed region of Jammu and Kashmir is divided between India, China, and Pakistan (the colored areas represent the parts which are not under control of India).  </p></div><p></p></div></div>Both India and Bhutan have protested China's ambitious one belt one road program to undertake massive infrastructure projects across Asia, and now China seems intent on testing the two nations' resolve. </p><p>"They are trying to show Bhutan who calls the shots in the Himalayas. So we have to ensure we are capable of defending Bhutan's territorial integrity," Maj. Gen. Gaganjit Singh, who commanded a division in India's Northeast before retiring as the deputy chief of the Defence Intelligence Agency, told the Post. "We have to prove we can defend Bhutan and we are determined not to lose the current terrain and tactical advantage we have in Chumbi Valley."</p><p>At 9,800 feet in elevation, the Indian troops sit and watch the Chinese below as they push forward with their road.</p><p>"It's important for us to stop the Chinese here because if we fail, they will roll on to the Chicken's Neck and can cut off our northeast," said Singh.</p><p>Meanwhile, China, the numerically superior army, declared it would protect its border "<a href="http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2103864/chinas-defence-spokesman-warns-india-not-take-any?utm_source=Sailthru&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=EBB%2007.25.2017&amp;utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">at all costs</a>," and that the Indians should have "no illusions" about their resolve. </p><p>But while China sees this step as vital for asserting dominance and achieving a major construction initiative, and India sees it as a vital threat to its national integrity, neither side wants serious fighting to start. </p><p>"A hot war between India and China could squander all the gains from their extensive economic diplomacy, and that would work against each country's interests in a big way," Michael Kugelman, the Deputy Director of the Wilson Center's Asia Program, <a href="https://www.thecipherbrief.com/article/asia/border-dispute-china-wont-back-india-cant-back-down-1095?utm_source=Join+the+Community+Subscribers&amp;utm_campaign=eb69641594-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_07_25&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_02cbee778d-eb69641594-122507317" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">told The Cipher Brief</a> of the conflict. </p><p>Hopefully at the upcoming summit between Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, (BRICS) the two sides can work out a way to end the conflict while saving face, before we see two nuclear-armed nations with a combined population of nearly 3 billion go to war. </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/secret-bunkers-nuclear-missile-war-hydrogen-fallout-radiation-attack-2017-6">These are the secret bunkers government officials will go to in the event of an attack</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="1uamxyYjE6133KHdmppfb43JIovzjTW0" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', '1uamxyYjE6133KHdmppfb43JIovzjTW0',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

China and India are edging closer to a war in Asia that neither can back down from

The standoff between Indian and Chinese soldiers in <keyword id="8093222" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="eastern-Ladakh-region">eastern Ladakh region</keyword> in the last one-and-a-half months is likely to fester for longer than any other such faceoffs in recent years, and could surpass the 73-day conflict in <keyword id="4708082" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="doklam">Doklam</keyword> in 2017.<br /><br /><div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76438507" title="The next few days are going to be stormy for India and China say a former diplomat and retired lieutenant general" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><br /><br />The eastern Ladakh crisis is an unprecedented situation if compared to the Doklam standoff, which was resolved after little more than 70 days. <br /><br />The tense situation in Galwan Valley in all likelihood would be a prolonged feud since India has lost 20 of its soldiers. <br /><br />Also, what is disturbing is that 10 Indian soldiers, including officers, were in the captivity of Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) for three days after one of the bloodiest attacks was carried out by China on June 15 at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). <br /><br />There is a renewed fury in Indian security establishments after it came to light that a total 10 Indian Army men, including two officers of the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and Major, were in Chinese Army captivity for three days and were released only on Thursday evening. <br /><br />The barbaric assault on Indian Army soldiers at patrolling point 14 on June 15 has left little scope to ease the tension between the two countries in near future. <br /><br /><strong>China's deceptive method to change status quo<br /></strong>China has changed the status quo at four places in eastern Ladakh to which India has objected. The four standoff points are Finger Four in north bank of Pangong Lake, patrolling point 14 near Galwan Valley, patrolling point 15 and patrolling point 17A, which is also known as Hot Springs. <br /><br />At these four points, troop concentration has increased manifold as China changed the status quo. <br /><br />The Chinese deceptive move underlining its expansionist design kick-started after India had begun building road infrastructure in its territory near the Line of Actual Control for easy movement of troops. <br /><br />The Galwan Valley attack on Indian soldiers on June 15 was not an isolated incident. <br /><br />The unprovoked offensive by the Chinese PLA started from May 5 and kept happening over few intervals, leading to the barbaric attack on the night of June 15 in which 76 soldiers were injured and 20 were killed. <br /><br />Those were the first casualties faced by the Indian Army in a clash with the Chinese PLA since 1975 when an Indian patrol was ambushed by Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh. <br /><br />Indian Army troops were outnumbered by 1:5 ratio when PLA troops attacked patrolling point number 14 at the Line of Actual Control. PLA troops "savagely attacked" Indian Army personnel, sources said on Wednesday. <br /><br />"The numbers of Indian Army troops compared to PLA troops were of 1:5 ratio," said sources, adding that China used thermal imaging drones to trace Indian army soldiers before brutally attacking them. <br /><br />"It was the deadliest attack carried on Indian Army personnel," government sources said. <br /><br /><strong>The Doklam crisis<br /></strong>The Doklam crisis of 2017 was totally different from the current situation in eastern Ladakh region, as it was not taking place on a territory disputed between the two countries. <br /><br />China was carrying out infrastructural development work in Doklam, the tri-junction of three countries -- India, China and Bhutan -- to which India had objected. <br /><br />China then claimed that there was a boundary dispute between Bhutan and China in which India had no claims. <br /><br />However, India refuted and stood its ground, matching the deployment of Chinese troops for 73 days. <br /><br />The standoff was triggered by China, which said it was constructing a road within its territory. This was disputed by India, which said the Chinese road construction site was Bhutanese territory. <br /><br />In Doklam, India feared that the Chinese road would give its military access to heights from where it could threaten the Siliguri Corridor, India's tenuous link with its northeastern regions. <br /><br />The crisis was resolved with diplomatic maturity without losing any ground. There was no change in the status quo on the ground and the faceoff ended on August 28, 2017. <br /><br /><strong>The Eastern Ladakh Crisis<br /></strong>The faceoff in eastern Ladakh, where China has intruded into Indian territory, has escalated into intense hostility and both the countries have increased troop deployments at four strategic locations. <br /><br />The Chinese are trying to usurp Indian land and even launched a massive propaganda campaign to claim that its troops were positioned within the Chinese border, which is a lie that has been exposed by international think-tanks keeping a close watch on India-China border developments. <br /><br />The Chinese military has positioned itself at strategic locations in such a way that it will give them the edge to challenge road construction by India. China does not want any threatening build-up of military infrastructure in the Sub Sector North, which lies just to the east of Siachen glacier and is the only area that provides direct access to Aksai Chin from India. <br /><br />In the meantime, India has maintained that it needs to build infrastructure in its own territory at the Line of Actual Control and cannot compromise on it. <br /><br />This has led to the current crisis. <br /><br /><strong>Escalated Hostility</strong><br />In his first remarks on the bloody border clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made it clear on Wednesday that India wants peace, but is capable of giving a befitting reply if provoked. <br /><br />The Prime Minister said, "I would like to assure the nation that the sacrifice of our jawans will not go in vain. For us, India's unity and sovereignty is most important and no one can stop us from protecting them. No one should have a doubt on this point. India wants peace, but is capable of giving a befitting reply in every way." <br /><br />This clear message comes against the backdrop of the Chinese army and its Foreign Ministry's blatant lie claiming control over the Galwan Valley. <br /><br />Although historical facts and documents have exposed Chinese sinister claims, the move itself highlights Chinese intent to change the status quo in the Ladakh region. The Indian security establishments have clearly said that India will not let the Chinese take even an inch of its territory. <br /><br />The Indian government and security officials believe that the situation will remain tense in the coming months even as both countries are trying to resolve the vexed issues through dialogue. <br /><br />India is also looking at a multi-pronged approach to deal with China by curtailing its business activities in the country.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/experts-believe-that-the-india-china-border-dispute-is-unlikely-to-turn-into-another-war-like-the-one-in-1962/articleshow/76128454.cms">India and China are testing each other at the Ladakh border— but it won’t be another war like in 1962, according to experts</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/foreign-policy/news/the-fear-of-china-has-put-the-global-spotlight-on-india-its-raked-up-three-comprehensive-strategic-partnerships-in-the-last-24-months/slidelist/76258833.cms">The fear of China has put the global spotlight on India ⁠⁠— its raked up three Comprehensive Strategic Partnerships in the last 24 months</a><br /><br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/foreign-policy/news/three-reasons-why-china-showed-aggression-against-india-on-border-according-to-a-former-diplomat/articleshow/76462632.cms"><strong>China wants India to stay in its lane — three reasons why China is puffing its chest, according to a former diplomat</strong></a><br />

Ladakh military faceoff with China may go on for longer than the Doklam conflict

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/599700c2f1a850bb028b5dfe-800/modi xi.jpg" alt="modi xi" data-mce-source="Denis Balibouse and Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters" /><p class="source"><span>Denis Balibouse and Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Tensions between China and India have heated up over a remote frontier region in the Himalayas</strong></li><li><strong>The region is of strategic importance, and neighboring Bhutan is now caught between</strong></li><li><strong>The ongoing standoff suggests tensions between the two powers could continue to grow in the coming years</strong></li></ul><p>While everyone's been watching the chaos spilling out of the White House, a border standoff between two nuclear powers has been festering for two months.</p><p>China and India have rubbed up against each other in the Doklam territory - called Donglang in Chinese - a remote frontier region located at a convergence point of India, India's ally Bhutan, and China.</p><p>The extended standoff appears to be one of the more significant in recent years, and comes at a time of weakening relations between the two powers. Analysts at BMI Research said the standoff suggests strains between China and India could continue in the coming years.</p><h2>What happened in the Doklam territory?</h2><p>In mid-June, Bhutan <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/26/world/asia/dolam-plateau-china-india-bhutan.html?mcubz=0&amp;_r=0">found</a> Chinese troops attempting to extend a road through a plateau in the Doklam territory. The region is claimed by both Bhutan and China due to contradictory phrases in an <a href="http://treaties.fco.gov.uk/docs/pdf/1894/TS0011.pdf">1890 border agreement</a> between Great Britain and China's Qing dynasty, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/26/world/asia/dolam-plateau-china-india-bhutan.html?mcubz=0&amp;_r=0">according to the New York Times</a>.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Reuters" title_caption="Map locating Donglang, a disputed area between China, India, and Bhutan." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5996f720f1a850060a8b5ca9-960/rts1a6fh.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5996f720f1a850060a8b5ca9-966/rts1a6fh.jpg" alt="china india border dispute" data-mce-source="Reuters" data-mce-caption="Map locating Donglang, a disputed area between China, India, and Bhutan." /></a><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Map locating Donglang, a disputed area between China, India, and Bhutan.</p></div><p></p></div></div>India, which has no claim to the territory but supports Bhutan's claim, sent troops to stop the construction.</p><p>China has since accused India of "<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40478813">trespassing</a>" and said that India has interfered with "<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40478813">normal activities</a>" on its side of the border. India responded by saying it got involved in order to help its ally, Bhutan.</p><p>Tensions have continued to simmer over the past several weeks, with both sides putting <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40478813">more</a> troops on the border. </p><p>On August 15, Indian and Chinese troops <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/video-of-chinese-indian-troops-fighting-with-stones-at-himalaya-border-2017-8">clashed</a> near Pangong Lake, a tourist attraction in the mountain region of Ladakh. A <a href="http://theprint.in/2017/08/19/visuals-show-india-china-clash-at-ladakh-was-serious-troops-injured/?utm_source=The+Sinocism+China+Newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=031a1e1137-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_08_21&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_term=0_171f237867-031a1e1137-29652241&amp;mc_cid=031a1e1137&amp;mc_eid=f4df4b6d0d">video</a> of the skirmish shows both sides throwing rocks and punches.</p><p>That same week, state-run Chinese media Xinhua News <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/people-are-outraged-about-a-racist-video-india-china-xinhua-news-7-sins-of-india">published</a> a propaganda video called the "7 Sins of India," which took inflammatory jabs at Indians, and specifically at the minority Sikh community. <span>Both Indian and international news outlets, including the BBC and the Washington Post, slammed the video as being racist. </span></p><p>Bhutan, which doesn't have formal diplomatic relations with China, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/03/asia/bhutan-india-border-dispute/index.html">issued a formal statement</a> accusing Beijing of building the road inside its territory and violating a 1998 agreement.</p><h2>Why do India and China care so much about a remote strip in the Himalayas?</h2><p>India has maintained that it is acting on behalf of Bhutan since the two have long maintained close relations.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="BMI Research" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59974247f1a850a81a8b5d77-960/unnamed.gif"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/59974247f1a850a81a8b5d77-800/unnamed.gif" alt="unnamed" data-mce-source="BMI Research" /></a><p class="source"><span>BMI Research</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>But New Delhi is also seeking to protect its sphere of influence, BMI Research says.</p><p>The Doklam plateau is "vital" to India's security interests because of its proximity to a key stretch of land called the Siliguri Corridor, the BMI analysts said.</p><p>Known as the "Chicken's Neck," the narrow strip of land connects India's northeastern Seven Sister States - which make up an area <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=seven+sister+states+square+area&amp;oq=seven+sister+states+square+area&amp;aqs=chrome..69i57.6319j1j1&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">slightly bigger</a> than the <a href="http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.TOTL.K2?year_high_desc=false">United Kingdom</a> - to the rest of the country.</p><p>If Beijing had a presence on the strip, it could theoretically cut off the northeastern states from the rest of India during a future conflict. It might also be able to exert more influence on Bhutan.</p><p>Council of Foreign Relations senior fellow Ely Ratner <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/03/asia/bhutan-india-border-dispute/index.html">told CNN</a> the dispute also reflects the challenges Beijing will face in its pursuit of regional and global leadership.</p><h2>Bhutan is caught between nuclear powers</h2><p>Bhutan provides a strategic buffer for India. The two countries have cooperated closely in foreign policy since signing a treaty in 1949, and India has continued to pay and train Bhutan's troops. </p><p>In <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6341143.stm">2007</a>, they signed a revised friendship treaty, which gave Bhutan greater freedom in foreign policy and military purchases.</p><p>Bhutan has reportedly <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/world/asia/squeezed-by-an-india-china-standoff-bhutan-holds-its-breath.html?mcubz=0">more recently</a> been looking to China, in part because of the appeal of its tourism money. The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/15/world/asia/squeezed-by-an-india-china-standoff-bhutan-holds-its-breath.html?mcubz=0">reports</a> that while Indian tourists don't need visas to enter Bhutan, Chinese tourists have to pay $250 per day in advance for vacation packages - which is no small sum for a country whose GDP per capita was $2,751 in <a href="https://tradingeconomics.com/bhutan/gdp-per-capita">2016</a>.</p><p>Many Bhutanese interviewed by the NYT seemed more concerned about India than China. "Some note that one effect of India's move - intended or not - has been to undermine border negotiations with China that could have cleared the way for closer economic ties," Steven Lee Myers reported.</p><h2>Not the first border tensions between India and China </h2><p>China and India have seen border tensions flare up from time to time in recent decades.</p><p>In 1962, India suffered a defeat to China in a one-month long <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Indian_War">war</a> over a disputed border area. The conflict followed the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1959_Tibetan_uprising">1959 Tibetian uprising</a>, after which India granted asylum to the Dalai Lama.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/599ae9aff1a8502b008b62dd-1000/johnkennethgalbraithandjawaharlalnehru.jpg" alt="Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru and john kenneth galbraith" data-mce-source="Wikimedia via JFK Library" data-mce-caption="United States Ambassador to India John Kenneth Galbraith and Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru conferring at the time of the Sino-Indian border conflict. The photograph was taken by the United States Information Service (USIS) and sent to President John F. Kennedy with a letter from Ambassador Galbraith dated November 9, 1962." /><p class="source"><span>Wikimedia via JFK Library</span></p><p class="caption">Then-Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru conferring with US Ambassador to India John Kenneth Galbraith at time of Sino-Indian border conflict, November 9, 1962.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Fast forward to 2014: Narendra Modi was seen as the most pro-China Indian prime minister since 1962, and he reportedly came into office with "<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/china-pushes-hard-in-border-dispute-with-india/2017/07/06/52adc41e-619b-11e7-80a2-8c226031ac3f_story.html?utm_term=.8cd64eb9c287">high hopes of building Sino-Indian relations</a>."</p><p>But the two countries have irked each other with various diplomatic moves, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/china-pushes-hard-in-border-dispute-with-india/2017/07/06/52adc41e-619b-11e7-80a2-8c226031ac3f_story.html?utm_term=.8cd64eb9c287">as the Washington Post reported</a>.</p><p>Among other things, India refused to join China's "One Belt, One Road" project, which plans to create a better connection between China and Pakistan, while China poured billions of dollars in investment into Sri Lanka and Nepal, which India considers to be its allies.</p><h2>Looking forward...</h2><p>Neither country wants to show weakness by withdrawing. As the analysts at BMI Research explained in a note to clients two weeks ago:</p><p style="padding-left: 60px;">"The Communist Party of China (CPC) cannot afford to show signs of weakness while preparing for the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-political-uncertainty-2017-2016-12">19th National Party Congress in late 2017</a>, especially since the public is aware that India sent its troops to the border before making any diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute. The Modi administration will also be unwilling to back off as it presents itself as an advocate of a strong India, and a sudden withdrawal of its troops may be harmful to its public image. Moreover, India could use this incident to sign more weapons deals with the US, which would help it to secure its eastern flank against China in the future."</p><p>The analysts argue that the standoff could continue into the winter, after which both sides might have to withdraw because of the weather. After that, they continued, it would be "possible" for diplomatic negotiations to begin. </p><p>"Given the dangers of this escalating rivalry, we believe that India and China will seek to obtain a mutually beneficial way to end the standoff and could use the onset of colder temperatures as a plausible excuse," the analysts said.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-bottom-line-stock-market-records-apple-tesla-tech-earnings-jim-glassman-economy-2017-8">THE BOTTOM LINE: New record highs for stocks and a deep dive into Apple's iPhone</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/4Rs0mxkk-xjRU7l6Z.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

You Searched For "Siliguri corridor" and got 5 results

After 55 years, India will inaugurate a new railway line with Bangladesh to save its ‘Chicken’s Neck’ from China

Prabhjote Gill

Chinese Premiere Xi Jinping to visit India from October 11-12

PTI

China and India are edging closer to a war in Asia that neither can back down from

Alex Lockie

Ladakh military faceoff with China may go on for longer than the Doklam conflict

IANS

A border standoff between 2 nuclear powers has been festering for months

Elena Holodny