The Wire writes
Why India won’t take sides on US-China spat over Covid, despite skirmishes in Sikkim-Ladakh
China believes it can write history on its own terms and even avenge it, except the novel coronavirus reshapes the world in brand new ways. JYOTI MALHOTRA 12 May 2020 11:38 am IST
Or is Covid-19 the anvil on which a new hegemon will rise?"
"It’s China’s choice" Author Jyoti Malhotra is editor of The Print.
"Perhaps the real problem is that China refuses to recognize the shades of grey in its relationship with India and the rest of the world. Compromise is seen as weakness, give-and-take as vulnerability. The Chinese believe they are on the right side of history and can afford to play the long game. That’s why they debunk all the historical records written by the British on Naku La and elsewhere and believe history is written by the victors.
But in the brave new world being reshaped by a mere virus, Beijing needs to understand that the old rules may no longer work. So much is being made of Shanghai’s Disneyland reopening Monday as if China has won the first prize in the global consumer sweepstakes. Still, the fact is that its reputation of being a responsible power is at stake. Can China bully its way into the new world order? Will the Chinese people demand answers from their leadership, like the Soviets did from their own in 1991?
Or is Covid-19 the anvil on which a new hegemon will rise?"