Doklam Standoff: Chinese media's racist video mocks India over border conflict

Keeping up with its rhetoric against India with regard to the standoff in Sikkim, China's Xinhua news agency has released a video on Twitter mocking India for its position on the border standoff. The video also has undertones of racism in the way it depicts an Indian.

Chinese media organisations have been consistently accusing the Narendra Modi government and its military of intruding into Chinese territory. Now, it has taken its political rhetoric a step further by mocking India in a video posted on Twitter.

Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese government's most important news agency controlled by the country's Cabinet, has released a three-and-a-half-minute video to explain the "seven sins" of India committed while "illegally trespassing" into Doklam. The video comes a day after troops of both the countries were involved in a brief altercation in Ladakh.

The video shows a woman explaining the "seven sins" committed by India in English while cutting in between to a turban-wearing character representing India. Besides wearing a turban, the character is also seen sporting a false beard and attempting to speak English in the way Indians are perceived to speak the language.

So, what are the "seven sins" of India?

According to Xinhua, the seven sins committed by India include trespassing, violating a bilateral convention, "trampling" international law, confusing right and wrong, putting the blame on the victim, hijacking a small neighbour and sticking to a mistake "KNOWINGLY".

In the video, the host says: "When the whole world is trying to wake India up from its impulse, China's realised it's impossible to awaken a guy who's pretending to be asleep." The video then cuts to the "Indian", who, in an unconvincing Indian accent, says: "Nobody's blaming me becasue I'm asleep."

Notice how the simple word "because" has been misspelt in the subtitles in this section of the video? Well, maybe it's just a mistake on the part of the editing staff.

The host goes on to say that Indian troops intruded into "UNDISPUTED" Chinese territory "carrying weapons and driving bulldozers... straight into your house without even knocking at the door." "What kind of neighbour would that be?" she asks.

In another sequence, she talks about how Doklam belongs to China under the 1890 Convention between Great Britain and China. The host, then, mocks India saying: "Didn't your mama tell you, never break the law?"

Under the "sins" of confusing right and wrong and putting the blame on the victim, the host rubbishes the security concerns put forward by India saying that there was no danger and that the concerns raised by the country are just an excuse.

"He is building a path in his garden. I am in danger," the "Indian" in the video says in a weird Indian accent.

In the sequence that talks about India hijacking a small neighbour, the "Indian" is seen talking to a rather confused "Bhutanese" national.

"Don't move, this is Bhutan's home. I am here protecting it," the "Indian" says while the "Bhutanese" national is made to look confused and perplexed as he denies the statement seemingly under the threat of a pair of scissors that the turban-wearing character is seen pointing at him.

The video claims that "Bhutanese authorities have clearly told Chinese officials that Doklam is not Bhutan's territory" and that Bhutan is itself "confused by India's behaviour." It also reiterates China's demand that India withdraws its troops for peace talks to take place.

The standoff at Doklam, which is under Beijing's control but is claimed by Thimphu, began on June 16 after Indian troops acted in coordination with Bhutanese authorities to block the construction of a road by Chinese forces.

At the end of the video, the host reveals why China would not negotiate with "thick-skinned" India. "Have you ever negotiated with a robber who had just broken into your house and refused to leave? You call 911 or just fight him back right?" the woman says.

The video then cuts to the "Indian" who asks in a mocking manner: "Why call 911? Don't you wanna play house bro?" In an indication to India to withdraw its troops from Doklam, the host concludes saying: "If you really wanna play, get out of my house first."

The standoff in Doklam

India and China have been locked in a border standoff in Sikkim for about two months now. It began on June 16 after China accused Indian troops of entering Doklam and stopping Chinese troops from constructing a road in the area. However, India responded by saying the border dispute is yet to be resolved and that China should "desist from changing the status quo".

India also accused China of building roads on the India-China-Bhutan tri-junction and its People's Liberation Army (PLA) of intruding into Indian territory through Sikkim and destroying bunkers, while China has claimed India is provoking them and the issue can be resolved only if India withdraws its troops.

India fears that the road-building activity would allow Chinese troops to cut its access to the seven states in the Northeast.