1962 war tried to wake up Nehru with a heavy punch: China daily

BEIJING: Ahead of the India-China border talks, an official Chinese daily on Thursday said both countries need to learn a lesson from the 1962 war that even though Beijing may like peace, it will firmly defend "its" land.

Using strong words, the write-up in ruling Communist Party's Global Times' web edition said the 1962 war was to "wake up" former PM Jawaharlal Nehru from the influence of US and former Soviet Union by giving him a "heavy punch" .

It also claimed the real target for Chinese leader Mao Zedong's ire at that time was Washington and Moscow . "Fifty years ago, when China faced several difficulties both domestically and internationally, Nehru administration , encouraged by the US and the Soviets, brought more trouble to the Sino-Indian border between 1959 and 1962", the article titled 'China won, but never wanted, Sino-Indian war' said. Written by Hong Yuan, deputy secretary-general of Centre of World Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, the article focus on China's victory and Beijing's "peaceful intentions" in declaring ceasefire despite the success and the "reluctance" with which China fought it.