*Source: DTN News / Pakistan Observer By Mohammad Jamil
(NSI News Source Info) ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - October 24, 2009: In view of recent events in Arunachal Pradesh, Bharat Verma, editor Indian Defence Review Chin
a presaged the other day that there could be a war during the month of October 2009 between India and China. Earlier in an interview with the Times of India he reckoned that China would attack India in 2012. One does not know the inside story, but his prediction of imminent war smacks of some devious designs on the part of India. Anyhow, claims some 90000 square kilometer of Arunachal Pradesh, which was once a part of Tibet whereas India always took the plea that it is part of India, which it inherited from the British Raj. In 1959, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai had written to Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru rejecting latter’s contention that the border was based on 1914 treaty of Simla Convention adding that Chinese government had not accepted McMohan Line as legal.
a presaged the other day that there could be a war during the month of October 2009 between India and China. Earlier in an interview with the Times of India he reckoned that China would attack India in 2012. One does not know the inside story, but his prediction of imminent war smacks of some devious designs on the part of India. Anyhow, claims some 90000 square kilometer of Arunachal Pradesh, which was once a part of Tibet whereas India always took the plea that it is part of India, which it inherited from the British Raj. In 1959, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai had written to Indian prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru rejecting latter’s contention that the border was based on 1914 treaty of Simla Convention adding that Chinese government had not accepted McMohan Line as legal. In 1962, when India tried to flex its muscles, Chinese troops had advanced to 48 kilometers in Assam plains and also occupied Indian forces’ strategic posts in Ladakh in 1962. The border clashes with China were a direct consequence of the Tibetan problem that cropped up when the Dalai Lama had fled to India.
Since then it has become a flashpoint that could spark a war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Over the years, both countries held series of negotiations to resolve the territorial dispute but to no avail. But after British Foreign Office clarification on 29th October 2008 admitting that Tibet was part of China, Britain should ask India to review its policy of intransigence. Kashmir dispute also owes its origin to British Raj, and after United Nations Security Resolution, international community and especially Britain should play its role in resolving the dispute.
Before the last World Olympics in Peking, efforts were made by the US and the West to tarnish China’s image by inciting human rights activists to highlight human rights’ abuses. When the Olympic torch was to pass from India, protests by Tibetans were organized to mar the event and bring China into disrepute.
Tensions are mounting between China and India, especially after US-India nuclear deal because India is basking in the glow of strategic partnership with the US and started flexing muscles with China, and has started interfering its affairs. Recently, Indian government lodged a protest with China over the proposed construction of Bunji Hydro-electric Project in Astore district of the Gilgit Balistan area. Chinese President Hu Jintao said that China would continue to support projects in Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas.
Chinese government has recently strongly protested over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh. China has also taken exception to the planned visit of Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh, and warned that there should no political speeches. According to Indian press reports, China’s soldiers, helicopters and even fighter jets have been intruding in the disputed territory to slowly and steadily retrieve the area. Though Chinese media has never created hype about its territorial dispute with India, however recently Chinese diplomats, intellectuals and leaders of the public opinion assert claims over Arunachal Pradesh.
According to news carried by international media in May 2009, India has significantly upgraded its military prowess along the border it shares with China, deploying two army divisions along with a squadron of top-of-the-line Sukhoi Su-30MKI warplanes at a critical base in the north-east. Three Awacs command-and-control aircraft was also deployed to boost India’s ability to track troop and equipment movements on the Chinese side of the border.
In August 2009, during Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari’s visit to southern China, the two countries signed a deal to work together to build a 7,000 MW hydro power project in Bunji in Northern Areas. President Zardari also sought Chinese assistance and invited companies to help develop hydel and thermal projects in the region.
Indian Foreign Office spokesman Vishnu Prakash said on last Wednesday that Beijing was fully aware of India’s concerns about China’s help in projects, and had asked China to take a “long term view” of relations between the two countries and to stop activities in what it called Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. China is a trusted friend of Pakistan; it has helped Pakistan in economic and defence fields in the past.
China was involved in a variety of projects including Gwadar port project and Saindak Copper Project in Balochistan, and has extended full cooperation to make Pakistan self-reliant by providing know-how with a view to ensuring territorial integrity and sovereignty of Pakistan. It would not be an exaggeration to say that Pakistan’s stability has always been the cornerstone of China’s foreign policy always.
Former president Pervez Musharraf and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao had held an hour-long meeting in Shanghai during his visit to attend Shangai Cooperation Organization (SCO). China and Pakistan signed a deal in 2006 to upgrade the Karakoram Highway, which runs from the trading city of Kashgar in China’s far western Xinjiang region to Gilgit in Pakistan and on to Islamabad.
Recent events in Tibet and Xinjiang however have sparked regional concerns. There are ominous forebodings. Bharat Verma, editor of the Indian Defense Review, in an interview with Times of India claimed that “China would attack India before 2012 to divert the attention of its own people from unprecedented internal dissent, growing unemployment and financial problems that are threatening the hold of Communists in that country”.
This sounds a part of propaganda to exact further concessions and help from the US and the West to strengthen India’s armed forces. Chinese leadership is well composed. It neither bullies other countries nor accepts any nonsense even from the super power. But China would never accept independence of Taiwan, which has been armed to the teeth by the US and the West. Beijing is indeed making preparations for that eventuality, and building up its military strength to project power not only regionally but also to contend the US as a major player in global politics.
Nevertheless, Chinese leaders hope that frictions can be contained and overwhelmed by the two nation’s shared interest in prosperity. Chinese leadership also understands that economic power is the most important and most essential factor in comprehensive national power, which is why China has all along focused on increasing its economic strength keeping in mind that its military strength depends on the former.
Chinese leadership has never reacted reflexively even when it was a question of its rights over Hong Kong and Taiwan. Despite acts of provocations, such as arming Taiwan to the teeth and the US efforts to contain China, the latter always signalled that it would not fight on US terms. Even western analysts reckon that China would be the leading industrial power and perhaps a superpower by 2020. Indeed, China was once a great civilization, and even when degeneration had crept in, the society was never dead, as the revolutions could not occur in a dead society. Nevertheless, the Marxist ideology under the leadership of Mao Tse Tung inspired the degenerated society and it was back on the track to enlightenment and development.
The new experiment of market economy monitored and controlled by the Communist party was unique, and Deng Xiao Ping was architect of this policy. After he had taken over control, he observed that China could not go forward unless it got western technology. For this purpose there was no way out but to mend the fences with the West. He formulated policy of coexistence with the West, and it is due to his vision and foresight that China is progressing by leaps and bounds.
Disclaimer statement
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied herein, DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Unless otherwise indicated, opinions expressed herein are those of the author of the page and do not necessarily represent the corporate views of DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News.
No comments:
Post a Comment