Ratcheting up its rhetoric against India, a state-run Chinese daily today warned that Beijing may support "pro-independence appeals in Sikkim" if New Delhi does not stop pursuing "regional hegemony" through the border face-off.
"In the past, China was wary of India playing the Dalai Lama card, but this card is already overplayed and will exert no additional effect on the Tibet question. But if Beijing adjusts its stance on India-sensitive issues, it could be a powerful card to deal with New Delhi," state-run Global Times said.
The paper, known for its aggressive rhetoric, said that China should reconsider its stance over Sikkim.
Sikkim is a powerful card against the Dalai Lama, it said.
The tabloid daily of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) also accused India of exerting "startling control and oppression over Bhutan."
"As a result, Bhutan has not established diplomatic ties with China or any other permanent member of the UN Security Council. Through unequal treaties, India has severely jeopardised Bhutan's diplomatic sovereignty and controls its national defence," it said.
It also accused India of imposing a "similar coercive policy on Sikkim before".
The daily said that India after its independence inherited the brutal colonial policies of Britain and pursued "regional hegemony at the sacrifice of tiny Himalayan nations".
The daily was apparently referring to Bhutan's diplomatic protest to China accusing that the Chinese troops of constructing the road in Doklam, a territory claimed by both nations.
"New Delhi's regional hegemony is swelling to a tipping point. The country has to pay for its provocations," The daily said.
"The Sino-India relationship is complicated. Beijing is more powerful yet unwilling to face a confrontation with New Delhi. But meanwhile, we must have enough tools to deter India from provocations," it added.
The newspaper also carried an article quoting a security analyst as saying that India should "drop delusion of military strength" with China as the military gap between the two countries is bigger than in 1962.
"Not only militarily, but economically and technologically, India has no comparison to China at this moment. We have no hostility to India and we really want to cooperate with India to improve our ties. The door of peaceful resolution is always open as long as India doesn't shut it," Hu said.
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