China’s Latest Cartographic Aggression Reinforces its Revisionist Credentials

Seemingly, Chinese maps have an inherent property to expand in size and uncannily encroach on integral parts of sovereign nations. Else what explains the periodical release of bloated Sino-maps that keep on bursting at the seams and smudging official borders? Giving wings to its insatiable appetite for territorial expansion China has released a new map on August 28.  The new map was released by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources commemorating Surveying and Mapping Publicity Day and the National Mapping Awareness Publicity Week. The release which came at the back of PM Modi’s informal conversation with President Xi along the sidelines of the Johannesburg BRICS Summit and ahead of the G20 summit has created quite a stir.

The Standard New Map has shed all the pretense of “China’s peaceful rise”. Encompassing and engulfing all the possible territories of various countries it can lay eyes on, China has released a new map. India immediately lodged a strong protest and unequivocally communicated that the new map which includes Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin in an attempt to lay its claims “might complicate the resolution of the boundary question”. Rejecting Chinese claims, EAM Jaishankar said, “China has put out maps with territories (that are) not theirs. (It is an) old habit. Just making absurd claims does not make other people’s territories yours”.

China’s renewed cartographic aggression now makes way for the brand new “ten-dash line”, an upgrade of the “nine-dash line” which was rejected by the Hague’s Permanent Court of Arbitration 2016. Beijing has recklessly rejected the ruling and insisted on its indisputable claim over the territories of the Philippines. The “10-dash line”, which is tongue-shaped now includes the regions surrounding Taiwan. Some strategists now believe that the “ten-dash line” is an attempt to close in on Japan’s Ryukyu Islands. With this China has laid claim to over 90% of the South China Sea (SCS).

China’s attempt to legitimize its sovereignty and jurisdiction over the various geographical features in SCS has no basis under international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). China’s cartographic aggression is a step-wise incremental process. After the success of this pilot project in terms of forcing the multinational marketing agencies and businesses to pay fines for not showing Taiwan and Nine-dash line on its maps, China is now steadily pushing this agenda through its propaganda channels which continues to amplify China’s new standard maps. In the past, clothing brand Gap, airline United Continental Holding, and Japan’s Seven &I Holding were forced to apologise and take down the maps not showing Taiwan in China’s maps.

Another unmistakable accomplice of this aggression adopted by China is to assert its delusionary claims through the spasmodic release of Sinicised names for places in Arunachal Pradesh. As a retaliation to the State visit of The Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh in 2017, China has assigned “invented names” to six places in the state. In 2021, China released another set of 15 Sinicised names weeks after celebrating the 100 years of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and again in April 2023, a tranche of 11 Mandarin names for places in Arunachal Pradesh protesting G20 Ministerial meeting in Itanagar. China defended the renaming exercise as being “carried out in accordance with our regulations about the names of localities and it is a legitimate action by the Chinese government”.

India has repeatedly called out China’s repeated clinical, unilateral attempts to alter the status with “invented antiquity”. Cartographic aggression and the Sinicization of names are potent weapons of China’s psychological warfare. The timing of this latest episode of Cartographic aggression, coming in the wake of India’s “stiffening position” is categorical strategic signalling by China.

PM Modi in his brief interaction with Jinping along the sidelines of the BRICS Summit has reportedly underlined that “maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas, and observing and respecting the LAC are essential for the normalisation of the India-China relationship”.

India’s refusal to back from its stated position of restoration of status quo ante as of April 2020 at the LAC and persistent hyphenation of the resolution of the border issue with normalisation ties has annihilated all chances of a bilateral meeting on Chinese terms. Moreover, India’s swift rise together with her pursuits of advancing developmental agenda with no strings attached policy at various multinational forums has enhanced her stature. Repudiating China’s intimidatory tactics, India is now emerging as an alternate pole in Asia.

Ostensibly, taking a cue from India’s strong diplomatic protests - Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia, Nepal and Brunei rejected the map. Brunei the latest ASEAN member country to condemn the map reminded China of its obligations to UNCLOS and urged for the effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in SCS. Kathmandu lodged a strong protest for failing to recognise the three territories- Limpiadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani as part of Nepal in the new map.

Malaysia stated that it doesn’t recognise China’s 2023 standard map as it “outlines portions of Malaysian waters near Sabah and Sarawak as belonging to China”. The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs statement- “rejected the 2023 version of China’s Standard Map.. because of its inclusion of nine-dashed line (now a ten-dashed line) that supposedly shows China’s boundaries in the SCS… the map is illegal and has no basis under international law”.

Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement read- “Vietnam strongly reiterates its consistent stance on the sovereignty over Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly), and resolutely rejects any maritime claims of China that are based on the “nine-dash line” in East Sea”. Rejecting the map, Taiwan asserted, “Taiwan, the Republic of China, is a sovereign and independent country that is not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China”.

With its overlapping claims to territories of countries in its immediate and extended neighbourhood, China has invariably positioned itself as an unparalleled expansionist hegemon that is a veritable threat to the larger Indo-Pacific region and Indian sub-continent.

Indonesian Foreign Minister said, “The drawing of any (territorial) lines, any claims, must be in accordance with UNCLOS 1982”. The overwhelming disapproval has made the world and the region especially wary of China. Interestingly, the new map for the first time included Russian territory Bolshoy Ussuriysky Island on the Amur River. This has been a disputed territory since 1860s. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia handed the Western part of the Island to China and signed a treaty in 2008 conclusively ending the dispute.  Given Russia’s current economic dependence and the 2022 “no limits friendship”, with China, its response to the map has been muted.

Reacting to China’s new map Denis Alipov, the Russian Ambassador to India snubbed away saying, “(it)doesn’t change anything on ground..”. But added, “For your information, there are some discrepancies on the Russia-China border as well. We do not exaggerate this issue with the Chinese side. And as we have noticed, India does not exaggerate this issue as well”.

China’s dismissive attitude laced with undertones of revisionism solemnised in the foreign ministry spokesperson’s statement on the map as a “routine practice in China’s exercise of sovereignty in accordance with the law. We hope relevant sides can stay objective and calm, refrain from over-interpreting the issue” has inexorably compounded Beijing’s belligerent approach.

China’s condescension amply resonated with Chinese defence minister General Li Shangfu’s reply at the Shangri La conference where he told the world “to mind your own business” in reply to a question as to why China carries out aggressive maneuvers and chases foreign vessels and navies in Taiwan Straits. Li said, “The best way is for the countries, especially the naval vessels and fighter jets of countries, not to do closing actions around other countries' territories. What’s the point of going there? In China, we always say, “Mind your own business”¹.

The new map epitomises China’s assertion of power, authority and unbridled aggression. The cartographic assertion and the latest satellite images showing new shelters, bunkers, tunnels and allied subterranean infrastructure close to Depsang Plains in Aksai Chin region have reinforced China’s plans of “digging in for a long haul” and reluctance to deescalate tensions along the LAC. China’s “obstructive tactics” at G20 Ministerial Meeting including its objections to unconventional aspects like Mission LiFE (Life Style for Environment), MSMEs, women-led development and India’s slogan for G20 “Vasudaiva Kutumbakam” illustrate China’s adversarial approach towards India.

The Galwan incident has irreversibly damaged the ties, China's intransigent approach and attempts to downsize India at international forums is bound to escalate the hostilities. As per the latest reports, absent any official confirmation from China, it is conclusively learnt that Xi Jinping will skip the G20 Summit hosted by India to embarrass India. Beijing believes this official snub will diminish India’s stature. On the contrary, Xi’s absence will help India position herself as the voice of the Global South and focus on developmental issues including the niggling food, fuel and fertiliser security. Xi’s abstention from G20 Summit post-revisionist standard map release would categorically reaffirm China’s reluctance for a bilateral meeting with PM Modi which might help in smoothening the rough edges and pave the way for a “consensus”.

China’s unabashed disinclination to resolve the borders coupled with relentless military buildup and coercion leaves no doubt about its intentions of ramping up pressure on India with hostile borders. But China’s unbridled expansion and cartographic transgressions have outraged several countries and it is too heavy a price to regroup the nation with a cratering economy under the banner of nationalism. In the process, China is no longer making secret of its revisionist intentions.

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