Kashmiris see ray of hope in India-China standoff in Himalayas

SRINAGAR, India -- A clash last month in the Himalayas between Chinese and Indian troops that left casualties for the first time in 45 years has raised the specter of war between nuclear-armed neighbors. Although the sides officially maintain that they want to resolve the dispute peacefully, a third party sees war as a more attractive option -- the people of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

A number of computer-enhanced images circulating on social media have become popular among Kashmiris in recent weeks. One shows the face of Chinese President Xi Jinping superimposed on a Kashmiri male in traditional garb and preparing a traditional wazwan meal. The other image is similar -- Xi's face is superimposed over that of a local bus driver who is calling out to commuters that the bus is headed to Ladakh -- the Indian-controlled Kashmiri region where the clash took place.