As the world is anticipating a peaceful settlement on the China-India confrontation in the Galwan Valley – the deadliest since 1975, New Delhi has further fueled the tensions. During his surprise visit to Ladakh on Friday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a swipe at China, accusing it of harboring expansionist ambitions.

"The age of expansionism is over. In the centuries gone by, it was expansionism that hurt humanity the most and sought to destroy it. Those who are driven by expansionism have always proved a danger to the world," Modi addressed soldiers. The prime minister did not mention names, but apparently he was referring to China.

Before making groundless accusations against China, Modi should have better taken a look back at India's expansionist past. After the deadly border war in 1962, the two Asian giants reached consensus on the 2,100-mile-long Line of Actual Control (LAC). While Beijing has never crossed the LAC, New Delhi has been repeatedly nibbling away at China's territory. Despite the 1962 truce, the Indian side has never ceased its efforts in pushing the LAC forward. This is the root cause for the border disputes between the two neighbors.

India seems to have learned no lesson from previous conflicts. Just within three years after the Doklam standoff, it has again stirred up troubles on the border issue. The Galwan Valley conflict is a direct result of New Delhi's provocations. On June 15, the Indian frontline border forces blatantly crossed the LAC in disregard of the consensus the two countries reached at the commander-level meeting. More provocatively, Indian soldiers violently attacked their Chinese counterparts who went for negotiations. This subsequently triggered fierce physical fights.

Since the skirmish, Beijing has been in close contact with New Delhi, hoping to address the issue through diplomatic channels. This is not cowardice, but a responsible way of dealing with conflicts. But Modi, by making the expansionist speech, is heightening the border tensions again.

Against Modi's groundless accusations, China has been dedicated to a good-neighborly policy. "China has demarcated boundary with 12 of its 14 neighboring countries through peaceful negotiations, turning land borders into bonds of friendly cooperation. It's groundless to view China as 'expansionist,' and exaggerate and fabricate its disputes with neighbors," Ji Rong, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy to India, responded to Modi's speech on Twitter.

It is India, not China, that has violated agreements on border issues. Thus, the Indian government's attitude is the key to the current conundrum. It's interesting to note that prior to his provocative speech, Modi denied China's intrusion into India on June 19. "Nobody has intruded into our border, neither is anybody there now, nor have our posts been captured," the prime minister reportedly said.

The changes in his tone may be a result of domestic pressure. Since the Galwan Valley skirmish, the Indian National Congress, a political rival of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, has repeatedly accused the prime minister of being soft on China.

Apart from this, Modi's government has been under harsh attack for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Its lockdown policy saw 122 million Indians lose their jobs in April alone, BBC reported. The country's unemployment rate hit a record high of 27.1 percent, according to the Center for Monitoring the Indian Economy.

Talking tough on China is the easiest way to get the Modi's government from the domestic conundrum. However, this is at the sacrifice of the Beijing-New Delhi bilateral relations and may bring more losses to India that the country cannot afford. China will not give up any inch of its territory. This is the red line that India should have never touched. New Delhi must refrain from any provocations that will further complicate the situation. It should never forget the 1962 war before stirring troubles on the border issue.

"Modi's response will be critical to de-escalation," the Council on Foreign Relations, a U.S. think tank founded in 1921, said in an article. Neither side wants a war. Before making provocative speeches on China, Modi should understand the gap that his country's military might have with China's. Peaceful negotiations are in the interests of both sides, and provocations will lead India nowhere.

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