#166: China does not want territory, it wants👇🏼
5.5 minutes read
China wants Aksai Chin.
China wants Arunachal Pradesh.
..and Nepal and Sikkim and Bhutan.🤯
Why? Socha kabhi?🤔
The answer lies in deep ingrained thirst.
The thirst that made it invade Tibet
The thirst that made it build super dams
You guessed it right. The real reason is WATER
Fresh Water.
The same fresh water that is a point of contention between India and Pakistan in name of Indus Water Treaty
But first, China.
See the Chinese Map.
This line is called Heihe–Tengchong Line.
94% of Chinese population lives to the right of this line and 6% to the left.
94% of 2nd most populous country is a massive number!!!😮
How's this related to the thirst, then?
Well, China is home to massive reserves needed for global development.
What it lacks is FRESHWATER🌊
BUT its neighbors have it in abundance! 💡
Russia in north has Baikal. One of the largest reserves of fresh water.
But can China attack and win Russia? NO!
Where else to see? South.
YES! To its south sat the water tower of the world: TIBET.
Buddhist Tibet had already given up on weapons. Easier to conquer!
Comes 1950 and China 'eats' Tibet slowly. Magically appears a Palm-Finger theory in Mao's era.
What does this theory say?
Tibet is a palm with 5 fingers.
5 fingers are Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh.
Okay, but whose palm and whose fingers? CHINA'S!
Where does this theory come from?
It appeared magically in speeches of Mao in 1940s
As per this theory, it is on China to liberate these five fingers and the palm from foreign rule.
- Ladakh has Indus
- Sikkim is where Teesta originates
- Nepal is home to Himalayan rivers
- Bhutan has its own course of rivers but Arunachal.
Ah, Arunachal. Source of 2/3 of Brahmaputra's water.
(yep! you read it right. Tibet drains JUST 1/3rd of Brahmaputra)
China does not like downstream 'weak' countries like India and Bangladesh holding control of such an asset
What does it do? Everything that we know today!
Fun fact: It is water that's most fought for in the 21st century.
Kashmir, for instance, has a key role of water in the fight for its control by Pakistan.
Other reasons are employed to sell it to the masses, for conquering water is a crime on humanity (humans of the losing party)
It is this kind of thinking that you need to develop for UPSC CSE.
It is this kind of 'reading between the lines' that you shall build during prep.
It is this kind of stories you need to read to gain an edge over your competition.
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What was that map mean ? Mountain location wasn't right