Face-off between Asia's nuclear giants raises new fears

The Indian Army Chief has since called for developing military infrastructure in a new area of the border. And just three weeks ago, Chinese forces attempted to construct a road that cut into a new part of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, before having their equipment confiscated by Indian troops.

Most worryingly, the Doklam episode may have prompted Indian nuclear preparations, a response hard to see as proportionate to a localized, nonviolent border standoff. A new report revealed that, during the crisis, Indian leaders ordered submarines "flushed" — sent out to sea en masse — to defend against a potential Chinese naval attack. They were also specifically briefed on the deployment availability of India's Arihant nuclear-armed submarine. Had the boat not been under repair, it likely would have been launched, sending potential nuclear warning signals to Beijing.

Why it matters: Deteriorating mutual trust has set the stage for more crises. As the stakes rise — with potential nuclear implications — the Trump administration must prepare contingency plans for future crises.

Frank O’Donnell is a Stanton Nuclear Security Junior Faculty Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center and a nonresident fellow in the Stimson Center’s South Asia Program.