China passes law awarding special powers to its army over border dispute

Beijing – China has enacted a law giving special powers to its military to stop any anti-China actions on the border. The country’s state-run news agency claimed that this special right would let the army shoot down all the actions that threaten Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity. Against the background of tensions on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China, it is clear that the Chinese decision is against India.

The Standing Committee approved the law of the Chinese Parliament. China’s state-run news agency said the law would take effect on January 1, 2022. China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are incredibly sacred and cannot be encroached. Hence, the law gives the Chinese military additional powers to secure the Chinese territory, the news agency said. This would stop actions threatening Chinese sovereignty and integrity on the border, the news agency claimed.

Meanwhile, China’s law appears to be part of the country’s propaganda. For the past few weeks, the Chinese military has been putting pressure on India with infiltration attempts on the LAC. Before that, China had deployed many troops, weapons and defence equipment in the area near the LAC. India also responded strongly to China’s pressure with equivalent deployments. After this, all the infiltration attempts made by the Chinese soldiers were thwarted by the Indian army. After this, China seems to be making another attempt to pressure India by announcing that it is giving additional powers to its military.

India and China have a border management agreement that bans weapons by both countries against each other. It is still not clear if these additional powers allow the soldiers to use weapons on the LAC in this scenario. But China is trying to show that the Chinese military can take such action against India. Earlier, there were threats from China that tensions over the LAC would have serious consequences. But regardless, the Indian Army and Air Force continued their actions to dominate the LAC.

Therefore, China is trying to indicate that that the situation on the LAC could fester in different ways. It was also revealed that China had a plan to make heavy deployments on the LAC. But repercussions of the failure to exert pressure on India are being felt in China. Chinese President Xi Jinping has appointed General Wang Haijiang as the new head of the Western Theatre Command. It is being speculated that the Chinese president made the change because of India’s movements.

Earlier, three military officers of the Chinese Army’s Western Theatre Command had to be removed for failing to achieve the expected success against India on the LAC. One of them died due to severe weather in Ladakh, while the other is in critical condition for the same reason. Now with the appointment of General Wang Haijiang, China seems to be intensifying its anti-India activities. General Wang Haijiang is said to have had the experience of indiscriminately persecuting Tibetans and Uighurs using the Chinese army.