Beyond the Horizon
By Pradeep Kumar
Indian PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping consent to maintain peace along Indo-China border would undoubtedly put the border row on global radar.
Because, President Xi on 30.07.17 had said that the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was capable of defeating all its enemies in response to Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat’s remark in January “time had come for India to shift its focus from its borders with Pakistan to frontier with China, reflecting the seriousness of the situation”.
His statement during maiden Army Day parade since the PLA was set up in 1927 that too in the backdrop of the references to 1962 war made by Chinese foreign office spokespersons over Doklam standoff with India. Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day standoff in Doklam during June 16.06.17and 28.08.17 after the Indian side stopped building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army.
Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat had said that his forces were “ready for a two-and-a-half front war” when Indian Army and the PLA soldiers jostled with each other at Doklam plateau in Bhutan in June last.
However, Chinese military in March 2018 had strongly protested against what it called Indian Army’s transgressions into strategically sensitive Asaphila area along disputed border in Arunachal Pradesh, but Indian side roundly dismissed the complaint, according to official sources.
The Chinese side had raised the issue at a border personnel meeting (BPM) on March 15 at Kibithu but Indian Army rejected it, saying that the area in Upper Subansiri region of Arunachal Pradesh belongs to India and it has regularly been carrying out patrols there. Chinese side called India’s patrolling in the area a “transgression” and the Indian Army objected to the terminology, sources had told media.
Under the BPM mechanism, both sides can register their protest over any incident of transgressions as there are varying perceptions about the LAC between the two countries. Indian side rejecting the Chinese protest had said its troops were aware of the alignment of Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the Army would continue to carry out patrols up to the LAC (de facto border) between the two nations.
Perceptions of the border by India and China vastly differ in the area. Indian and Chinese troops hold BPMs to resolve issues triggering tensions along the border.
There are five BPM points along the LAC at Bum La & Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, Daulat Beg Oldi & Chushul in Ladakh, and Nathu La in Sikkim. The BPM on March 15 took place at Daimai post on Chinese side in Kibithu area.
Sources said India has deployed more troops and increased patrolling in the mountainous terrains along the borders with China following the Doklam face-off. India is also strengthening its surveillance mechanism to keep an eye on Chinese activity along the borders in the strategically sensitive Tibetan region and has even been regularly deploying choppers to carry out recce.
Indo-China War: A 29-day pitch battle (Oct 18 to Nov 16, 1962) in which unprepared Indian Army had suffered defeat, but this had strained ties between the two Asian economic giants.
India claims China is occupying 38,000 sqkm (Aksai Chin plateau) of its territory in J-K or the Chinese province of Xinjiang, while China claims around 90,000 sqkm of land including Arunachal Pradesh. There was no concrete outcome even after 15 rounds of talks. China claims Arunachal as South Tibet. In 2014, India had proposed China should acknowledge “One India” policy to resolve the border dispute.
“The Indian side engaged in talks with China over the row over border, demarcated as per 1940 Shimla Agreement between the British and Tibetan authorities on McMahon Line and on the other claims 90,000 sqkm of territory that stretches beyond Arunachal to the northern bank of the Brahmaputra in Assam.
In 2012, Lok Sabha member Takam Sanjoy was first Indian lawmaker to demand a permanent representative from Arunachal Pradesh for Sino-India border talks, just before the 15th round of talks between India and China at New Delhi in January that year.
China has emerged the craftiest global traders after the Westerners as its largest carriers shipped Christmas gifts for sale in the western world after its economy took a nose drive, particularly after the collapse of toy industry including popular Barbie, Polly Pocket and “Cars” movie items since 2003.
Fast growing India with 1,35. 40 crore population now is the biggest market for China, which has already won trade war against India long ago. Its products are being sold throughout NE including in Arunachal Pradesh while it has set up collaborative venture setting up a Rs 100 crore factory at Chayagaon Industrial Growth Centre near Guwahati to produce tractors, power tillers and motor cycles to tap the vast markets of NE India known for its huge agriculture and horticulture potentials for conducive agro-climatic condition.
Bilateral trade hits historic high: India-China bilateral trade reached $84.44 billion in 2017, an historic high notwithstanding bilateral tensions over a host of issues.
A rare novelty of the bilateral trade otherwise dominated by the Chinese exports was about 40% increase of Indian exports to China in 2017 totalling to $16.34 billion, according to data of Chinese General Administration of Customs.
The bilateral trade in 2017 rose by 18.63% year-on-year to reach $84.44 billion. It is regarded as a landmark as the volume of bilateral trade for the first time touched $80 billion, well above the $71.18 billion registered in 2017.
The trade touched historic high despite bilateral tensions over a number of issues including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, China blocking India’s efforts to bring about a UN ban on Jaish-e-Mohammad leader Masood Azhar, Beijing blocking India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group as well as the military standoff at Doklam lasting 73 days. The bilateral trade stagnated around $70 billion for several years despite the leaders of both the countries setting $100 billion as target for 2015. India has emerged as the seventh largest export destination for Chinese products, and the 24th largest exporter to China.
China with 1,41.40 crore being the most populous nation in the world has its own inherent problems, thus observers rule out the possibility of another 1962 like war as Beijing is aware Indian is not what it was in 1962.
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