Xi Ping wants the World to Listen

Xi Ping is about 3 years younger than Modi, but that Modi will beat him in Yoga is something which none should ever doubt.

Ping is rather tall for a Chinese and should be standing over 6 ft with shoes on. I was, till date of the bounden belief, that leaders with dictatorial tendencies are usually short, Hitler (5’8”), Napoleon (5’5”), Mussolini (5’6”), Churchill (5’6”), Modi (5’7”), Lenin (5'5"), Stalin (5’5”), Putin (5’7”). But it appears, Xi Ping is a clear outlier.

Xi Ping, with a slight slant of neck, decked in battle fatigues, made a tough speech to a resurgent nation restlessly seeking the respect which it believes is now so much overdue. I don't recall having ever seen a Chinese premier in battle fatigues. This theatrics has shades of the Fuehrer.

While many political commentators may like to believe, Xi Ping’s speech was a call to the world to acknowledge China as an emerging super power and message to its neighbors to stay cognizant of China’s growing military might, but I think, that is a stupid premise. While China may be a straight jacketed single party polity, nevertheless, to a leader public opinion is something of paramount importance. Stanceful, strident and subtly pugnacious Xi Ping’s audience was determinedly domestic, and that he succeeded to do - draw international attention was a bonus.

Just like Fuehrer, he relies on re-kindling national pride, he relentlessly alludes to the century of humiliation of the Opium Wars and leverages the fear psychosis to drum a xenophobia that could be both dangerous and disastrous.

India for once showed adroitness in handling the Dokalam tri-junction ingress, and responded to the Bhutanese SoS with the alacrity that behoves a friend and strategic ally. The political polemics and shady shenanigans not, withstanding, she braced up to the blatant Chinese attempt to gerrymander geographical borders, and pushed the Chinese back to their position prior to their impudent ingress. She acted decisively with calibrated force and position of strength that for a change was devoid of chauvinistic chest beating.

It is China’s chastened belief that Tibet, Sikkim, Bhutan, Arunachal and several adjoining areas are a part of its territory of which India is in wrongful occupation. It would not be out of place, if on some parallel logic, India would set out to reclaim parts of Afghanistan, all of Bangladesh and Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Sind back.