India using border talks to divert China from true intentions: commentary India is trying to divert China’s attention away from its efforts to increase military presence and bolster actual control in disputed border regions by pretending to be interested in diplomatic negotiations, alleges the Shanghai-based magazine Xinmin Weekly. The Oct. 22 commentary said political commentators have long believed that India’s attempts over the years to strengthen its military presence along the 2,000 km Line of Actual Control — a de facto border that runs across the Himalayas between China and India — is part of a “strategic move” to increase their chips during border negotiations with China. In reality, it is the other way around, the commentary said, with the negotiations acting as a delay tactic and diversion so that India can continue to boost its military might and strengthen its actual control over disputed areas. As evidence for India’s disingenuous nature, the commentary points to the 13th round of border negotiations between the two countries held in New Delhi from August 7 to 8, which was considered a success as both sides agreed to set up a hotline between their respective prime ministers. However, India followed up this small step forward by announcing plans to build a monitoring global satellite navigation system along its border with China and to deploy a fleet of tanks to the pivotal border region of Arunachal Pradesh, which officially became an Indian state in February 1987. China continues to claim the state, including its strategically important Tawang district, as a part of Tibet. China and India have butted heads over border issues for over a century, even fighting a brief skirmish in 1962 over the disputed regions. The total disputed area between the two countries stands at about 125,000 square kilometers and can be separated into three areas. The middle-eastern part of Arunachal Pradesh, which accounts for about 90,000 sq km, and the middle part of around 2,000 sq km are both controlled by India, while the 33,000 sq km western portion dominated by the Aksai Chin district is administered by China as part of the Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region. Over the past 50 years, India has continued to increase its military presence in Arunachal Pradesh, the commentary said, to the point where a third of the country’s military, or 100,000 soldiers, is now concentrated in the state. India has also deployed fourth-generation Su-30 fighter jets and T-72 battle tanks to the area, as well as forced several regional airports to all hand over their control rights to the military, the commentary added. The commentary, however, does not make mention of newly announced measures to diffuse border tensions between the two countries, including setting up a new telephone hotline and conducting “regular meetings” involving the headquarters of the two countries’ militaries, adjacent combat units and border defense forces. Other measures include building additional border meeting points in the border area and making telecommunications available between front-line border troops of the two sides. In another sign of goodwill, China and India reportedly “completed simultaneous withdrawals according to the steps formulated by the two countries and restored peace and tranquility” in the border area by the end of last month, according to a previous press release from the Chinese foreign ministry. It has also been reported that China and India will go ahead with their annual joint anti-terrorism exercises in mid-November. The new measures, however, come just weeks after thousands of Indian and Chinese soldiers confronted each other along the border accusing each other of building roads and observations posts in disputed territory. Last week, Beijing also expressed concern over New Delhi’s plans to construct a 2,000 km, 400-billion-rupee (US$6.5 billion) road network in Arunachal Pradesh that has been described as the largest infrastructure project in Indian history. The commentary would go on to accuse India of occupying Chinese territory illegally for the last 50 years, and warned against pushing China too far. The commentary concludes by stating that India’s attempts to strengthen its military would ultimately prove futile, reminding that China had scored a comprehensive victory in 1962 Sino-India but showed “mercy” by withdrawing and unilaterally declaring a ceasefire.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 08:35:00 +0000
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