David Arase, professor of international politics at the Hopkins-Nanjing Centre, John Hopkins University, is an expert on East Asian politics and international relations. He has published five books on the subject and edited a volume, China's Rise and East Asian Order (2016). He is currently working on a book on China's rise to dominance in Asia, expected to be out in 2018.
THE WEEK spoke to him on the sidelines of a talk organised by the Institute of Chinese Studies. Excerpts:
What is your reaction to today's development on Doklam?
It is a little surprising, but it is welcome if it brings with it lasting understanding. Will this mean a complete resolution of the border differences at the point or does this mean that it is a de-escalation for the time being? The details are unclear right now. I will have to study the statements, get more information before being able to make a proper statement.
Were you expecting the stand off to de-escalate or did you think it would become a military conflict?
War was not an option for either country, that was obvious. I knew it would de-escalate, but I was anticipating a longer standoff. I was thinking this would continue till the onset of winter when the snow would bring a stop to everything.
In the Doklam stand off, which country do you think had the higher moral ground?
One cannot really say that in the case of international disputes. However, according to international law, it is not correct to unilaterally change a status quo. One is expected to seek out international means to resolve differences peacefully. A great example was when India took Bangladesh to the United Nations' Permanent Court of Arbitration over border disputes. The tribunal ruled in favour of Bangladesh though India had taken the matter to court. India accepted the verdict and had abided by it.
