The latest warning from China has come from its Defence Ministry. On the India-China standoff in Doklam, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian has said, “Shaking a mountain is easy, but shaking the People’s Liberation Army is hard”. He has also said that India should not harbour any illusion about the PLA’s ability to defend its territory. There is a proverb, “The first shot is fired much before the war starts”. This should be seen with reference to the current standoff in Doklam. Normally, nobody can imagine a conventional war breaking out between two nuclear-armed countries, but China’s intentions are difficult to predict. It can resort to anything and at any point of time. Therefore, its statements should be seen as, “Early fire shots” and be taken as a warning. And, India must stay prepared.