“By invading Tibet, China has militarized the entire Tibetan Plateau, which poses security threats to Tibet’s neighbouring countries. For instance, China’s military encroachment in Doklam in 2017, Ladakh and Sikkim are just the tip of the iceberg.” Toeing the path adopted by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama for years to resolve the issue of Tibet with China through the ‘middle-way approach’, Sangay described the violent military face-off and death of the Indian soldiers uncalled for.

“Last 70 years, we have been saying that we learn a lesson from Tibet’s experience. When Tibet was occupied, Mao Zedong and Chinese communist leaders strategised that Tibet is the palm and Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and Arunachal are the five-finger. “This is China’s strategic design to expand its expansionist policy to South Asia. By invading Tibet the palm, now Chinese troops are coming into these five fingers. “At the same time, China is putting pressure on India’s immediate neighbours Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Maldives for encircling India to check India’s existence in Asia,” Sangay said.