What is causing India-China standoff around LAC?

India China relations have been complex over these years, where both haven't been really close to each other and yet haven't snubbed each other openly. 

The India China border has been witnessing tensions over the past month, with incidents reported in at least four different locations along the line of actual control (LAC). Incidents at the Pangong lake in Ladakh on May 5, and at Naku La in Sikkim on May 9, had led to injuries, caused by "aggressive behavior on both sides". Stand offs at two other spots in Ladakh, in the Galwan valley and in Demchok, have reportedly escalated with a build up of troops by both sides. 

The standoff in Galwan valley and Sikkim, is mainly triggered due to Indian forces increasing it's infrastructure at the Indian side of the LAC, within our territory. The Chinese troops came in to stop these construction activities, that the Indian army was undertaking. The territorial claims had been settle long since but India says that their Chinese counterparts have suddenly conveniently forgotten the same. According to reports, almost 5000 People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers have intruded into Indian side in around five points in Ladakh.

The transgressions are nothing new, according to some reports, we have almost 400 cases of Chinese transgressions every year. The point to note here is this is something new as this time the pint of transgressions are places where the LAC is broadly defined and accepted by both parties and China themselves asserted claims and defined the claim lines in both these regions. Also, the transgression seems highly coordinated and planned. 

The fact that China has crossed the claim lines that they themselves have asserted means they are trying to make a statement. It is not just about recovering territory, as they have gone beyond what they claimed is rightfully theirs.

While China's diplomacy hasn't been at it's best lately considering it's geopolitical standing today. The voices from within seem to suggest that "Diplomacy is for the weak" and China is much better off playing the power game rather than pursuing Diplomatic relations. Looking at these particular insurgencies and the locations that have been chosen, it seems they have gone ahead with strategically advantageous location unlike Doklam which was a position of strategic disadvantage. If this insurgency is so planned and coordinated, the question arises what does China want for all this?

For one, these are legacy issues that continue to haunt India and China since 1967 India-China war. No special diplomatic breakthrough has been achieved in dodging that undercurrent fire. With India-China relations, there might not be any real tension brewing on the surface for almost 3 decades, but deep within the surface things are not forgotten and the wound festers.

There is some cooling down of the current situation with the statement of Lijian Zhao, the official spokesperson of People's republic of China (PRC). He said India and China are capable of diffusing the tension through talks and dialogue. But the question still remains, why this escalation at the first place? Was it a way to just divert world's attention from the already many bad news festering in China with Coronavirus and then Hong Kong handling of the national security law. Or are there any economic brownie points that needs to be scored as India recently made changes in it’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy with respect to China. Indian also has kept Huawei out of it's shores as far as 5G technology is concerned and we all know India's response to the RCEP. For clarity on the motive we will have to wait for a little more clarity. Even if both countries don't speak, we will know through their actions sooner than later.

Conclusion:

Even though the fist fights and stone throwing from either sides hasn't escalated to any serious bombing or shelling, situation in the region remains tense. we now the transgression by PLA has been much aggressive, coordinated and highly strategic this time around, the fact that they have crossed their own claim lines and have come deep inside Indian territory is worrying and makes us think what is the motive behind crossing the lines drawn by themselves, is it to make a statement or use it as a leverage to negotiate on something else related to economic or foreign policy. Nothing can be ruled out in the wake of this Coronavirus pandemic where the usual diplomatic ways have gone out of the window and countries are getting desperate, more than ever.