A Nosey Parker is Rebuffed

India and China are not exactly the best of buddies. 

It’s not made easy when they share a land border that stretches for 4,056 kilometers and for a long time, they have been drawn into tense border disputes that flare up into sporadic border clashes. 

It also didn’t help that they were warring in 1962 that set back ties for decades. 

Fast-forward to the present and the latest quarrel between the two countries were reportedly sparked by infrastructure projects being carried out by both countries on the Himalayan border. Affrays on May 05 and 09 between their soldiers had left “minor injuries” on both sides, according to local media. 

Then both countries upped the ante when they moved sizeable numbers of troops into position in the contested areas – and a stand-off ensued. 

On Wednesday, Donald Trump (left) waded into the heightened impasse, claiming that he had “informed both India and China that the United States is ready, willing and able to mediate or arbitrate their now raging border dispute”. 

Methinks, he’s a meddler, a kibitzer, a nosey parker. Not to mention, he has a thick hide too. 

At any rate, neither New Delhi nor Beijing are particularly enticed by his offer to conciliate the territorial dispute between them. 

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson issued a statement on Friday: “China and India are capable of properly resolving the issues through dialogue and consultation”. 

India wasn’t enthusiastic either. A spokesperson for the country’s Ministry of External Affairs said New Delhi was “directly in touch with China”. 

I do hope this aggressive military posturing between India and China will remain just that and it will not escalate into a war that brings zilch benefit to the two sides. 

This wasn’t the first time that Trump had volunteered his services in the region. In January, the US president floated the idea that he could referee talks between India and Pakistan to resolve the ongoing territorial dispute in Kashmir. 

His offer was not received with much excitement. 

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (right) himself had expressed confidence that the issue could be handled “bilaterally” with Pakistan. In other words, Trump needn’t get involved. 

I agree. Trump ought not to interfere in other countries' affairs. Besides, I don’t trust him one bit. With his bellicose jingoism, he might even ignite a war.