Why Everyone’s Mad About China’s New Map

The Chinese government released a map that has sparked anger from several countries. The map is seen as a violation of international law and has caused tension in the region. China defends the map, stating it is crucial for national unity.

The Discrepancy Between China's Desired Map and Reality China wants their country to look a certain way on the map, but in reality, it looks different.

Challenges with Chinese Maps "Chinese government requires its mapmakers to use an algorithm that scrambles latitude and longitude coordinates for national security reasons. This makes it difficult for outsiders to work with Chinese maps."

Overcoming Mapping Challenges "Despite the challenges posed by scrambled coordinates, we were able to align our own mapping systems with Chinese maps through hacking methods."

The region of Kashmir is heavily disputed between India, Pakistan, and China. India claims it as their own while China controls it. Both countries are building infrastructure in the area in preparation for a potential conflict. The border between these two massive countries, known as the line of actual control, loosely marks the disputed territory. Due to its location in the Himalayas, controlling this region is challenging. In recent clashes near Ladakh in 2020, Indian and Chinese soldiers engaged using primitive weapons resulting in casualties.

A leaked government report reveals that China is encroaching into Nepal's sovereign territory without permission. This puts Nepal in a difficult position as they need to maintain good relations with both China and India. Locals have reported that the Chinese military does not respect the border, creating tension between the two countries.

In 2006, China pressured Bhutan to give them a large portion of mountain territory. This area is now under China's control. They are also encroaching on other parts of Bhutan's northern border. The strategically important Doklam Plateau gives China a military advantage over India by controlling the vital corridor between the two countries.

Arunachal Pradesh, a region next to Bhutan, is claimed by both India and China. While India's claim is based on a border drawn in 1913 between Tibet and India, which China disputes as illegitimate due to their control over Tibet now. China asserts that the entire region belongs to them and has been renaming landmarks on their maps accordingly. In response, India is investing heavily in infrastructure development to solidify its claim.

China has built a fence along its border with Myanmar to restrict the movement of people and illicit goods. This has disrupted the previously porous border, causing anger among the affected communities.

China claims all the water within the nine-dash line as its own, despite it being a hand-drawn boundary not recognized by international law. This has led to conflicts with neighboring countries and China's construction of militarized islands in disputed waters.

The Senkaku Islands, located north of Japan, are claimed by Japan, China, and Taiwan due to the presence of oil and gas fields. China frequently asserts its claim by sending Coast Guard ships into the surrounding waters and airspace. They believe these islands belong to them.

China considers Taiwan as part of its territory and is willing to use force to reclaim it. The addition of a 10th-dash line on the map, encircling the water east of Taiwan, has sparked debate about China's intentions. Experts agree that this reflects China's historical claim over the region and their determination to assert control in their neighborhood.

There is a small river island that should belong to Russia, but there was a dispute about it. Eventually, Russia and China agreed to redraw the border and give half of the island back to Russia. However, on this map, the island is claimed once again by Russia.

The new map of China reflects the country's political statements and aspirations. It signifies China's rise as a rich and powerful nation that is motivated to exert its geopolitical vision globally.