Domestic Motivation of Beijing’s LAC Aggression

Context: China’s increased defence expenditure and aggression amid global health and economic crisis can be attributed to its expansionist goal.

Chinese Military Spending 

• 85% increase between 2010-19 (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute).

• Sustained year-on-year increases.

Chinese Aggression over Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Defence Expenditure Growth can be Attributed to 

• Quest to keep key military industries afloat

• Ensure the continued loyalty of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to the Xi Jingping-led Communist Party of China in the backdrop of Covid-19 mishandling.

• Expansionist goals in maritime or continental domain.

• Nationalist imperative: To counter domestic critics and opponents by expanding territorial claims and increasing nationalist sentiments. 
• Natural consequence of what China sees as necessary measures to press its claims against its immediate neighbours.
• China’s changing intention inspite of negotiations on areas along the LAC (such as Hot Springs in the western sector of the boundary in Ladakh).
• To prevent India’s support for a global investigation of the origins of the coronavirus. 
• Aggression over Indian representatives attending Taiwanese President virtual swearing-in ceremony.
• China’s accusation of India trying to unilaterally alter the territorial status quo, to justify its own troop build-up in Galwan and eastern Ladakh.

Conclusion: India need to summon all its reserves of resolve and capabilities in order to defeat the aggressive Chinese territorial claims over LAC.