August 17, 2017, 03:57 PM 
China and India are locked in a border dispute and temperatures are rising.
As both sides are coming dangerously close to a military conflict, China state media has released a bizarre propaganda video on Aug. 16, documenting the supposed "7 Sins of India".
According to the video, the seven sins are:
- Trespassing
- Violating bilateral convention
- Trampling international law
- Confusing right and wrong
- Putting blame on victim
- Hijacking small neighbour
- Sticking to mistake knowingly
Xinhua, the state news agency, produced the three-and-a-half-minute video as its latest episode of the commentary series The Spark.
It featured a belligerent female presenter with a stilted English accent admonishing India for not respecting China's sovereignty and abiding by international law.
It also reiterated that India should withdraw from the disputed region immediately and unconditionally -- a stance the Chinese government had taken consistently.
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Mocking tone
What was perhaps most striking about the video, that had been adapted from a commentary published last week by Xinhua, was the mocking tone and the attempt to infuse elements of role-playing and satire, but in a somewhat racist way.
It prominently featured a turban-wearing "Indian" in shades as a subject of ridicule, with canned laughter playing in the background.
Image screenshots via Xinhua's video
Some of the unflattering remarks include, "thick-skinned" and "a guy who is pretending to be asleep".
Other examples include:
"Driving bulldozers straight into your house without even knocking at the door. What kind of neighbour would that be?" (On 'Trespassing')
"Didn't your mama tell you never to break the law?" (On 'Trampling international law')
"First of all, you've got to make sure your excuses can hold water, dude!" (On 'Putting blame on victim')
"[India] attempted to justify its incursion in the name of "protecting Bhutan". The Bhutanese authorities have clearly told Chinese officials that Doklam is not Bhutan's territory. How does it feel shooting yourself in the foot?" (On 'Hijacking small neighbour (Bhutan)')
"Have you ever negotiated with a robber who had just broken into your house and refused to leave? You call 911 to just fight him back, right? If you really want to play, get out of my house first." (On 'Sticking to mistake knowingly')
Strong rhetoric
China has been trying to polish its outdated approach in communicating a friendly image to skeptical overseas audiences about its growing power and its policy agenda.
The Chinese often utilises domestically-banned platforms such as YouTube, Twitter and Facebook, that are targeted at audiences beyond its borders.
However, despite finessing its overseas propaganda approach, it is also not averse to using strong rhetoric when it comes to commenting on matters related to China's sovereignty.
The Doklam dispute, which started two months ago, involves an area of contention between India and China. The two nations fought a war over the border in 1962 and disputes remain unresolved in several areas, causing tensions to rise from time to time.
If you are still up for it, you can watch the full video on Xinhua's Twitter account:
#TheSpark: 7 Sins of India. It’s time for India to confess its SEVEN SINS. pic.twitter.com/vb9lQ40VPH
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) 16 August 2017
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Top image screenshot via Xinhua's video
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