China Accused Of ‘Picking Off Countries One By One'

World on the brink

- Marco Giannangeli

China is targeting nations one after the other in its drive to become a global power, military experts say.

It comes amid warnings that skirmishes with India could turn into a major conflict.

Beijing has also failed to learn key lessons from the Cuban missile crisis, meaning de-escalation is less likely, they said.

The 1962 stand-off between the USA and Russia took the world to the brink of war but also made both realise transparency and communication were needed.

However, China has never been in a similar position, meaning it is unlikely to back down against its nuclear-armed neighbour.

The warnings follow a border skirmish in the Himalayas in which Chinese troops used nail-studded clubs to kill 20 Indian soldiers, including their commanding officer.