From maps to minerals

Express Tribune

2 days ago

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China's recent actions on India's northern frontier have gone beyond mere symbolism. From altering maps to weaponising minerals, the intent is clear: to recast geopolitical narratives in Beijing's favour while undermining India's sovereignty. The depiction of Jammu & Kashmir as "Occupied Kashmir" and Arunachal Pradesh as "South Tibet" on official Chinese maps is a strategic move, not a cartographic slip. It is the sign of ever-tougher stance, as geography is turned into the instrument of policy — or, rather, the instrument of influence.
Take for instance the re-designation of Ladakh as "Chinese territory" and the integration of Aksai Chin into Xinjiang's administrative structure. These are bureaucratic acts with military and diplomatic weight. When a state sets on the institutionalisation of its claims, it is not just doing the same in preparation of international negotiations, but long-term strategic consolidation as well. The Line of Actual Control which was infested with tensions experiences even more tensions when such pressures are mounted.
Yet the map is only one layer. Economic coercion now forms a parallel front. It is not surprising to see China suspending its export of rare earth magnets to India especially since the magnets are important in both the auto industry and the defence sector. This is following the India blockade of any Chinese tech firms such as Huawei or TikTok. In that regard, China is playing with power of dominance in its critical supply chains. It is not just retaliation on India although it must be seen as sending a common message: decoupling with China has its costs. This pressure is so subtle and effective that it makes it insidious.
To make the situation worse, India is caught between a two-front dilemma. Those stand-offs with border contention against China and Pakistan are getting combined. Be that as it may, the strategic net is woven the same way; Indian bandwidth is exhausted. It has to cope not only with physical defence but with the economic and diplomatic effect of two antagonist sides. This will have a pinch effect as the regional fault-lines intensify which can be seen to create a weak spot in India in terms of military deterrence as well as economic resilience. Compounding the challenge, China, with its expanding regional influence and growing engagement in South Asian geopolitics, is subtly positioning itself as a potential arbiter in the Kashmir issue, thereby inserting itself into one of India's most sensitive domestic matters.
Meanwhile, the Pak-China synergy, going beyond CPEC, is matured into an enlarged regional combination that is currently extending to the incorporation of Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia. These backbones are not merely economic backbones, they are turning around the strategic houses of the region. The outreach via Afghanistan is associated with several advantages: it enhances the use of transit, the reconstruction, and the prevention of extremism along vulnerable boundaries. A more stable western frontier of Pakistan and China is an economic advantage as well as cushioning them against unrest spilling over from Afghanistan.
Ultimately, the lines being redrawn - both on maps and through policies - reveal a seismic shift. China, with Pakistan as a strategic partner, is not just challenging India. It is reshaping South Asia's geopolitical reality. For India, the response must go beyond reaction. It must think in terms of long-term regional recalibration, economic self-reliance and narrative control. It's because the battlefield now stretches from borders to supply chains, from digital bans to diplomatic boards. And in this new terrain, ambiguity is no longer an option.