Narendra Modi became the first Indian prime minister to publicly identify China on Chinese soil as an obstacle to the development of bilateral ties when he asked Beijing in mid-May to "reconsider its approach" on some key issues. In a similar vein, his national security adviser, Ajit Doval, said more recently that China's border stance is in "complete contravention of accepted principles," pointing out that Beijing has accepted the colonial-era McMahon Line with Myanmar but rejects the same line with India.
This should come as no surprise: In none of its disputes with neighboring countries has China staked a territorial claim on the basis of international law or norms. Rather, its claims flow from its revanchist view of the past — a shifting standpoint that distorts history to help legitimize claims to territories long held by other countries. Because China does not apply the rule of law at home, it does not recognize its value in international affairs.
For China, principles have always been bendable. And when it cannot bend a principle, it creates a new one.