IND- CHINA BORDER DISPUTE: Why China is Miffed

SOURCE:
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/why-china-is-miffed/392889.html

                          TIBET THE SPIRITUAL 

                 AUTONOMOUS  REGION OF INDIA

                                     AWAITING TO BE LIBERATED

                GOD FAVOURS  BIG  GUNS 

                                     & 

                  NOT DEEP POCKETS 

                                   AND

                      INDIA HAS NO GUNS 

                                    BUT 

                     ONLY BIG SCAMS

                                        &

                     BIG COMMISSIONS     

                                                 - VASUNDHRA                                            

 ****************************************

              Why China is Miffed

                                  By

             Gen VP Malik (Retd)

It isn’t just about the Dalai Lama, it is to do with ambition & growth

 

                                                  HARD TIMES: India will require greater political ingenuity to come out of this mess.

INDIA-CHINA 

relations are sinking once again. 

But it would be naive to consider this development only in the light of the Dalai Lama’s visit to the Tawang monastery: it was his fifth visit to Arunachal Pradesh and third to Tawang.

 The reasons for Chinese fulmination are more fundamental and strategic in nature. 

As large and fast growing Asian powerhouses, China and India have become increasing mindful of their territorial integrity and security, strategic and economic ambitions, and manoeuvring space in the global environment. China’s strategic alliance with Pakistan, blocking India’s entry into the NSG and the UNSC, denying  the declaration of Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, its steady outreach to India’s other neighbours in South Asia, and its territorial claims in the area of South China Sea are some of its strategic assertions. 

The fundamental reason, however, remains the dispute over the China-India boundary after China’s PLA occupied Tibet in 1950. The India-China war (1962), skirmishes at Nathu La (1969), at Wangdung (1986), and several attempted intrusions along the disputed boundary have made this the most sensitive issue. 

Let us check on the hotspots — India’s Northeast first. During the 1962 war, after routing India in Kameng (Arunachal Pradesh), the PLA occupied Tawang and came up to Chakoo, south of Bomdila. After the unilateral ceasefire, the PLA withdrew to its present positions on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), 35 km north of Tawang. During that period, China failed to woo the Monpa population of Tawang who kept themselves aloof from the Chinese. 

When talks began, China was prepared to accept the territorial status quo in the Northeast if India would accept the post-war status quo in Ladakh. After 1985, it began to claim Tawang, and later the whole of Arunachal because it is ‘inalienable from China’s Tibet in terms of cultural background and administrative jurisdiction’. China opposes even development projects there.

The claims over Arunachal have become shrill and threatening, notwithstanding that the claim repudiates Article VII of the Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of India-China Boundary Question of 2005. Its cardinal provision states, ‘In reaching a boundary settlement, the two sides shall safeguard due interests of their settled populations in the border areas.’

The situation in India’s northwest is more complex. In the 1950s, China constructed a strategic road connecting Tibet to China’s Xinjiang through the Aksai Chin area of J&K claimed by India. The dispute became one of the triggers for the 1962 war. In 1963, Pakistan and China signed an agreement wherein Pakistan ceded the Shaksgam valley, part of J&K territory of Northern Areas occupied by Pakistan, to China. This area forms a wedge between Afghanistan and Xinjiang and provides land route links between China and Pakistan. The status of Northern Areas was kept nebulous as Pakistan’s constitution did not recognise Northern Areas as Pakistan territory. It was area ‘under the actual control of Pakistan’. 

Article 6 of the pact stated, ‘The two parties have agreed that after the settlement of Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India, the sovereign authority concerned will reopen negotiations with the government of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) on the boundary so as to sign a formal boundary treaty.’ Its next paragraph stated, ‘Provided that in the event of the sovereign authority being Pakistan, the provision of this agreement and the aforesaid protocol shall be maintained in the formal boundary to be signed between the PRC and Pakistan.’

But now China tows the Pakistani line on J&K and its troops and engineers are deployed in parts of the PoK. Two years ago, when China and Pakistan decided to build the CPEC with $46 billion investment, China again safeguarded its strategic stake (and overcome the possibility of India’s objections), insisting that ‘disputed territory’ tag be removed from Gilgit-Baltistan. Pakistan has obliged. After a constitutional amendment, the region will soon be declared as Pakistan’s fifth province. With a change in the political status of Gilgit-Baltistan, China would make significant territorial and strategic gains even though this development would have repercussions for India, Pakistan, and the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.

The Chinese vision for the CPEC goes back to the 1950s, primarily to acquire access to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean. That motivated them to construct the Karakoram highway and take up construction at Gwadar. The CPEC is a collection of projects intended to modernise Pakistani infrastructure and strengthen its economy by the construction of high-speed motorways and railway networks, energy projects and special economic zones. In the process, Xinjiang will get direct access to Gwadar. The mega project will mark a major advance in China’s plans to boost its influence in the Central, South and West Asia. One has to admire the Chinese leadership’s strategic vision!

While working on the prognosis of these developments, we should also factor in the national power edge that China enjoys over India. There is little doubt that the balance of power will continue to shift in China’s favour.

On the face of it, India and China have a cordial, cooperative, bilateral relationship. There is the civilisation relationship, economic cooperation, the annual strategic, political and economic dialogues; even some military cooperation. But China’s competitive relationship far outweighs the cooperative one. As Aaron Freidburg states, ‘Relations between great powers cannot be sustained by inertia, commerce or mere sentiments’. The deep strategic fissures cannot — should not — be ignored. 

The foremost India-China bilateral problem is of unresolved boundary. China says that Tibet, including south Tibet, is a ‘core issue’ and there will be no compromise over territorial integrity. The problem is that most of China’s neighbours do not know which Chinese era is its territorial benchmark. What exactly is the Chinese territory? China recognises McMahon Line as its boundary with Myanmar but not with India. Till date, it has successfully evaded giving any meaningful idea of their version of the LAC in spite of undertaking to do so in solemn bilateral agreements.

Paul Kennedy in his book The Rise and Fall of Great Powers has stated that ‘Long-term shifts in economic productivity of nations are co-terminus with the increase or decrease of their global influence.’ After successfully developing its economy, China is now revealing its imperious intent more openly.

According to Henry Kissinger, ‘The PRC leadership is capable of extreme elasticity and pliability, surpassing the marvels witnessed in the fantastic physical contortions of the famed Chinese circus gymnasts.’ He also states, ‘The familiar Chinese style of dealing with strategic decisions is: thorough analysis; careful preparation; attention to psychological and political factors; quest for surprise; and rapid conclusion.’

In the coming days, we can expect more of coercive diplomacy and bullying tactics from China. More incidents along the LAC, even border skirmishes cannot be ruled out. China may also encourage Pakistan to create new diplomatic and security pressure points over India. 

India will require greater political ingenuity, determination and more effective military response capability to safeguard its national interests.

 The writer is a former Army Chief

Is China Scared Of Dalai Lama? – OpEd

SOURCE:
http://www.eurasiareview.com/23122016-is-china-scared-of-dalai-lama-oped/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+eurasiareview%2FVsnE+%28Eurasia+Review%29

 OpEd

Is China Scared Of Dalai Lama? 

In recent times, China appears to be closely monitoring the movement of the Dalai Lama and has been protesting to every country that has received the Dalai Lama or given prominence to him.

It is strange that China which is a large country with huge population, strong economy and mighty military power is giving an impression that it is scared of the Dalai Lama, who is a frail elderly person with no military at his command and only possessing attributes of goodwill for everyone.

China opposes the Dalai Lama everywhere

Even after six decades of occupying Tibet, China seems to be concerned that the independent spirit of Tibetans living in exile around the world continue to remain very high. China seems to be so scared of the Tibetan spirit that it opposes the visit of the Dalai Lama to any country in the world.

Due to objection from China and fearing China, Sri Lanka refused to give visa to the Dalai Lama, in spite of millions of Buddhists living in Sri Lanka. A few weeks back, the U S President Obama received the Dalai Lama through the back door, to keep China in good humor.

Measures against defiant Mongolia

The recent visit of the Dalai Lama to Mongolia was opposed by China and China caused crisis in Mongolia to punish the defiant Mongolia. Mongolia’s crisis followed it’s reception of the Dalai Lama last month, triggering a slew of economic measures by China against Mongolia.

China took exception to the statement by Mongolian ambassador to India seeking India’s financial support to override Mongolia’s economic difficulties.

China objects to invitation to the Dalai Lama

Now, China has slammed India for inviting the Dalai Lama for a function in New Delhi, when the Dalai Lama was present in the opening session of the Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit, organized by Nobel Laureate Kailash Satyarthi’s Children’s Foundation on December 10.

In a strongly worded response, China said “Recently in disregard of China’s solemn representation and strong opposition, the Indian side insisted on arranging for the 14th Dalai Lama’s visit to the India presidential palace and participation in the event with the Indian President and meeting with President”. China asserted that it was strongly dissatisfied and firmly opposed.

Moral power versus military power

When China invaded helpless and defenceless Tibet ,it resulted in thousands of Tibetans fleeing from their motherland. Tibetan exiles are now living all over the world mostly as refugees.

The Dalai Lama and Tibetans living around the world as refugees follow the philosophy of Gautama Buddha, which essentially reflects peace and tranquility in their mindset and with malice for none. They are hoping that one day or other, Tibet will once again become an independent country living upto it’s traditions and value systems

The Dalai Lama and many thousands of Tibetan refugees living across the world now enjoy enormous moral power, as the world is conscious of the fact that great injustice has been done to Tibet by China.

The world is highly impressed by the quality of leadership provided by the Dalai Lama to Tibetans, which is symbolized by malice towards none and love for peace everywhere. It is remarkable that the Dalai Lama has not spoken disparagingly about China in any forum, inspite of the enormous sufferings inflicted on the Dalai Lama and Tibetans by China.

There is no doubt Tibet is hanging like Damocles Sword on China. Chinese leadership wrongly thinks that world conscience can be silenced and the presence of the Tibetan refugees and the Dalai Lama can be hidden by forcing every country in the world to ignore the Dalai Lama.

It is obvious that moral power of Tibet is gaining strength over the military and economic power of China. It remains to be seen as to how long China can hold on to it’s ill-gotten Tibet.

TOPICS:BuddhismChinaDalai LamaForeign PolicyIndiaMongoliaSouth AsiaTibet

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

N. S. Venkataraman

N. S. Venkataraman is a trustee with the "Nandini Voice for the Deprived," a not-for-profit organization that aims to highlight the problems of downtrodden and deprived people and support their cause. To promote probity and ethical values in private and public life and to deliberate on socio-economic issues in a dispassionate and objective manner.