The military standoff between India and Pakistan on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is more likely to escalate into a conflict between the two nations as a result of China's more assertive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific, according to former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd on Saturday.
In an interview, Rudd, who is regarded as a major expert on China and its leadership, claimed that Chinese measures along the LAC, such as the development of infrastructure to support its armed forces, indicate a willingness to "change the reality on the ground."
Rudd did not, however, completely rule out the prospect of President Xi Jinping acting to settle the border dispute with India after he further solidifies his hold on power at the Chinese Communist Party's 20th session, which will be held later this year. He continued by drawing comparisons between the situation on the LAC and China's actions in the South China Sea, which likewise sought to alter the situation on the ground.
“We need to understand Xi Jinping’s worldview. It’s his China. He is likely to be China’s leader till 2037,” Kevin Rudd said. “It seems to indicate a Chinese predisposition to continue to push and to change the reality on the ground over time,” said Rudd, who is promoting his new book, “The Avoidable War: The Dangers of a Catastrophic Conflict between the US and Xi Jinping’s China”.
In addition to highlighting India's expansion, Kevin Rudd questioned what would happen if China started to take notice of India's growing economy.
No chance of China degrading its ties with Islamabad, Kevin Rudd remarked in reference to the connection between China and Pakistan. It is an all-season connection. Following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei, there have been more military drills around Taiwan, and Kevin Rudd asserted that this has increased the likelihood of a war between China and Taiwan.