Chinese media: 'India should apologize for drone intrusion'
After an Indian drone recently crashed across the border in China, Chinese media has resorted to its characteristic aggressive rhetoric to tell New Delhi off. In a sharply worded editorial, Chinese state-run daily Global Times demanded that India should apologize for the drone intrusion. It slammed India for not "behaving itself." This happened after India acknowledged the incident and attributed it to a technical-error.
Indian drone "invaded" our airspace, then crashed: Chinese media
On December 7, Chinese media claimed that an Indian drone "invaded" Chinese airspace and then crashed across the border. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is "strongly dissatisfied with and opposed to" the breach, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. However, media reports didn't provide critical details, including where or when it happened. This comes three months after India and China ended the intense Doklam standoff.
What did the Global Times editorial state?
The article stated that both sides should avoid acting in provocative ways, especially at a sensitive time and location. It slammed India's explanation for the incident and pointed out, "Even if it is a technical problem, why is that technical problem happening at the exact wrong place and wrong time?" It also alleged that the "Indian military had gone too far."
Will the incident spark fresh Sino-Indian tensions?
The incident has occurred during a relative period of calm after India and China concluded the 70-day Doklam standoff in August 2017. However, it is only routine for both countries to engage in border-surveillance and make rare technical errors. Moreover, Beijing has also transgressed into Indian-airspace in the past. While this might strain bilateral relations, it is unlikely to result in another tense standoff.
