New Delhi: The ongoing standoff between India and China in Doklam is unlikely to translate into a full-fledged war, an assessment by top government officials states.
An armed military conflict can result in high casualties without any significant gain for China. It may not even produce a clear winner or loser. As a result, Beijing is likely to opt for a more diplomatic stance despite its harsh tone towards India.
The India-China border that spreads over 3,488km has several disputed territories, which is problematic for both sides and neither has a clear upper hand.
Though India lags behind China over border infrastructure, it does have a distinct military advantage supported by the geographical higher ground.
According to a Times of India report, if India manages to avoid the results of 1962 war, it could threaten China's image as the top Asian power and rising challenger to American might, which could be problematic for the ruling Communist Party in the upcoming Chinese elections in September.
Also, the bilateral trade between the two countries stands over US$ 70 billion and both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, who are likely to meet the Brics summit in China on September 3-4, have limited political space to take the ongoing conflict to a full-scale war.
Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a standoff for the past two months in the Doklam region.
Meanwhile, concerned over inordinate delays in the construction of strategic roads along the India-China border, the defence ministry has delegated more administrative and financial powers to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for the speedy completion of the projects.
