Zhao Gancheng, a senior researcher at the Shanghai Institute of International Studies posted an article on China's social media on January 3, where he said: "The downward trend in Sino-Indian relations does not seem to be over yet". He blamed the Modi government for provoking "disputes in the Sino-Indian border area" and trying "to divert public attention". He said "Since May 2020, the Indian border forces took a series of reckless actions in the Galwan Valley area of the western section of the China-India border, directly invading the areas controlled by China, causing friction between the two sides to recur. After that, the Indian side violated the consensus reached by the two sides and again ventured across the border in an attempt to achieve its goal by a surprise attack, which led to the escalation". Stating that a number of mechanisms exist to maintain peace and tranquillity, "however, this time the Indian authorities seem to have no interest in the past methods of solving the problem. Neither the consensus reached at the military commander-level talks nor the communication at higher levels such as the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Defense did not stop the Indian front-line troops from taking further risks". Pointing to the ban on Apps etc, he cautioned "The Modi government arbitrarily took successive measures to damage China-India relations, pushing border frictions to an irrational level that puts the economic and trade relations between the two countries facing dangerous consequences" and said Modi had moved closer to the US. Zhao Gancheng added that "What India did in 2020 caused a rapid decline in Sino-Indian relations. What is worrying is that this trend does not seem to be over yet. Since the beginning of winter, India has delivered a large number of logistic materials to the army assembled in the border area, claiming that it is ready for the winter". Again, he warned in conclusion that "If India insists on relying on the United States, thinking it is a shortcut to realize the dream of a big country, India should think clearly about the consequences of this choice and the lessons of history".