A China-India armed conflict over Doklam would be bad for all and sundry

IT is now more than two months since the Sino-Indian border stand-off in the Doklam region of the Himalayas began, and both rhetoric and actual readiness for war seem to be almost at an inflexion point. China and India share a 3,488 km border, of which 220km lies at a tri-junction between India, China and Bhutan.

The current imbroglio began when the Royal Bhutan Army attempted to stop Chinese road building in what Thimphu considers its own territory. India, which has a defence treaty with Bhutan, rushed in to protect its neighbour and bl…