Chinese media accuses Sushma Swaraj of lying, puts pressure on its own government

BEIJING: Chinese state media's attacks on India became more shrill as the People's Liberation Army prepared to celebrate its 90th anniversary on August 1. The local media on Friday even accused external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj of lying about the Doklam standoff and the support that India is getting from the international community.
Sections of the media, which represent the hawkish part of the Communist Party, stepped up pressure on their own government to confront India on military terms and give up attempts to find a diplomatic solution.It claimed that confrontation was the "will of the people".
These sections in the Communist Party do not want Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser, to hammer out a solution to the problem during his visit to Beijing on July 26, 27.
"She was lying to parliament," Beijing based Global Times said in an editorial while discussing Swaraj's statement to parliament about the border standoff. The Chinese version of the paper described her as a "female foreign minister" to suggest that this would make India less strong willed in the case of a military conflict. But this description was later changed in the paper's online version in English.
Writing on a day when the Chinese foreign ministry did not have its regular briefing, the paper said, "If Indian troops continue trespassing into China's territory, what Beijing may do next is to get prepared for a military confrontation against New Delhi and resolve the conflict through non-diplomatic means".
China would not accept Swaraj's suggestion of troop withdrawal by both countries as a means to resolve the standoff. "China will by no means agree to the withdrawal of troops from both sides in order for talks to be held. Doklam is Chinese territory. The withdrawal of Indian troops must be a precondition for talks and China will not compromise on this stance".
Beijing's official claim that China is a victim of India's aggression on Chinese territory has not gone down well among the party's hardliners who are pushing the government to act sternly and push out the "invaders". Despite its awesome strength, the Communist Party is often pressurized by hawkish sections which had earlier pushed the government to strike Japan and Philippines during disputes over areas in the East China Sea and the South China Sea.
"China cannot afford to "lose an inch" of territory. This is the sacred wish and request of the Chinese people. The Chinese government will not breach the fundamental will of the people and the PLA will not let the Chinese people down," the Global Times said, adding, "If New Delhi remains stubborn, India should get prepared for all possibilities from a potentially grave escalation of tension in the future".
The paper went beyond the topic saying that a military confrontation would serve the purpose of demonstrating China's military capability after the recent reforms in its command structure. "The China-India border area may become a stage where China showcases the achievement of its long-term military development and reforms".
"India should abandon the fantasy of a long-term standoff at Doklam. China will by no means agree to the withdrawal of troops from both sides in order for talks to be held. Doklam is Chinese territory. The withdrawal of Indian troops must be a precondition for talks and China will not compromise on this stance," it said.