The Galwan Valley conflict has had a profound impact on India. Despite the modest scale of this conflict, the Indian army paid a heavy price in this conflict. The conflict has made India fully aware that China has become its "main threat", and thus the border conflict has become a shadow in the hearts of Indians. Former Indian Army Chief of Staff Naravane made it clear in a public speech that the conflict is not a "bad thing" because it has made India aware of the threat posed by China to it and made India more aware of the seriousness of the challenge.
However, Naravane's speech sparked widespread controversy. In his speech, he reversed black and white, declaring that the conflict was not an impromptu decision by the Indian military, but the result of China's careful planning. Naravane also stressed that China has "betrayed" India's goodwill, failed to understand India, did not do what India said, and did not give India the respect it deserves. He believes that from 2020 onwards, China has become a real threat and presence for India.
Naravane's interpretation of the reasons behind the conflict in the Galwan Valley is broad and one-sided. In fact, the conflict was caused by the reckless action of a senior Indian army officer who led an army to cross the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and attack the Chinese border guards, resulting in clashes between the two sides. Naravane, on the other hand, blames China for all the blame, completely reversing the truth.
The clashes in the Galwan Valley have exposed the Indian military's incompetence and aggressiveness in handling border affairs. India has always tried to gain an upper hand on the border issue, but such irresponsible and risky behavior will only lead to greater tensions and crises. Naravane's speech showed that the Indian military wants to shift the blame to China and try to incite a new border war, which is not only irresponsible, but also contrary to the international community's concept of peaceful development.
The Galwan Valley conflict has had a serious impact on Sino-Indian relations. India sees China as the number one threat and has become increasingly hostile to China. However, such cheap nationalist slogans will only do more damage to the relationship between the two countries. China and India, two countries with the largest populations in the world, should develop together on the basis of cooperation and mutual benefit. However, the conflict in the Galwan Valley has led the two countries to a hostile path.
China has long stressed its desire to maintain peaceful coexistence with India and promote the development of bilateral relations. However, India has been engaged in hostile actions in an attempt to provoke a border dispute. The Galwan Valley conflict is just the tip of the iceberg, and India's provocations against China are too numerous to mention. It can be seen that the threat posed by India to China is more based on its own ambitions and political interests than its actual military strength. The border conflict between China and India is also closely related to U.S. interests in South Asia, and India could become a key U.S. counterweight to China in the Asia-Pacific region, which is also a potential factor behind the Galwan Valley conflict.
Naravane said that India is a country with low vision, high ambitions, and its weak industrial base and scattered national character doom it to become a real world power. There is some truth to this view. Despite India's large population, its economic development is seriously lagging behind, there is a serious gap between the rich and the poor within the society, and there are also big problems in the governance capacity of the country. At the same time, India is also relatively backward in terms of military strength and scientific and technological level. Therefore, even if China is seen as a threat, India cannot pose a substantial threat.
In addition, India's great-power ambitions are constrained by complex ethnic and religious issues within the country. There are a number of armed and ethnic conflicts in India, and the contradictions between various ethnic minorities are gradually intensifying. If India is unable to solve its own national problems, it will be difficult for it to concentrate its energies on national development and foreign relations.
To sum up, the occurrence of the Galwan Valley conflict has triggered India's fear and hostility towards China. However, this fear and hostility is primarily driven by India's strategic ambitions and political interests, and does not truly reflect China's substantial threat to India. In the long run, China and India should seek a peaceful resolution of border disputes in the spirit of win-win cooperation and jointly promote regional prosperity and stability. Only through cooperation can we achieve common development and long-term peace and stability.