India and China

Despite the confused reports concerning the recent fighting on the Sino-Indian border, one thing is clear: the Chinese have been planning their offensive for some time. The skill and effectiveness with which they deployed their troops over rugged Himalayan terrain indicates a carefully prepared battle scheme.

Yesterday, the Chinese turned around and offered to negotiate a settlement. Since their forces stood thirty-five miles inside Indian territory at the time, the offer was rightly rejected. Had Peiping been willing to negotiate a reasonable settlement in the past, it could have done so. In the light of the Communists' premediated aggression, their latest proposal can only be regarded as crude opportunism.