The coming India–China conflict and a higher calling for India
On July 3, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the border region of Ladakh for the first time since Chinese troops killed 20 Indian soldiers in the Galvan Valley on June 15. And judging by China’s official reaction, the Communist Party didn’t see Modi’s response coming.Modi showed support for his troops, and also tapped into the growing anti-China sentiment that has been provoked by Beijing’s coronavirus-era brazenness. His visit placed the fighting in Ladakh in the broader context of China’s global expansionism. Speaking in Leh, Modi directly admonished Beijing for its expansionist policies.“The age of expansionism is over, this is the age of development,” he said. “History knows that expansionist forces have either lost or were forced to turn back.”Instead of calling out China’s