Recent developments at various places see India and China coming face to face as adversaries. Many incidences have taken place in last few months which portray these two big Asian countries with world’s largest population with mutual distrust and antagonism.
Indo-China Face Off
The few incidences I can remember are:
1. Chinese products banned in India
India banned Chinese dairy products in September, 2008 allegedly contaminated with deadly whitener. Few other countries in Asia and Africa too banned Chinese diary products including Singapore, Australia. India also banned Chinese Mobile and toys. Recently, when India imposes ban on dairy products again as the ban was coming to a end on 24th June 2009, China protested against it. The ban was lifted by Singapore and few other countries after Chinese products passed laboratory tests.
India also banned toys imported from China as well as mobile phones. And recently China threatened tit for tat to Indian products.
2. China tries to stall ADB loan to India
China tried to block India’s ADB(Asian Development Bank) loan as the loans were meant for infrastructure development in Arunachal Pradesh, an Indian state and China claims its own. This is a clear departure of previous Chinese stand on Arunachal Pradesh. Previously, it claimed part of Arunachal Pradesh as its South Tibet territory and now it claims whole of Arunachal Pradesh. Few war of words between foreign ministries followed :-
“We value our ties with China but blocking the loan at Asian Development Bank (ADB) was outrageous,” Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor told.
“China has expressed strong discontent. The action can neither change the fact that China and India have a huge territorial controversy, nor China’s fundamental position on the border issues between China and India,” a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman told a news conference on June 18.
3. Indian deploys Air Superior Fighter Jets in North East India
India has recently deployed 2 squadrons of Sukhoi-30 MKI in Northeast India. India claims it is response to Chinese build up in Tibet. China cries fouls and increases its demand over Arunachal Pradesh which is administered by India but claimed by China. Capable of carrying nuclear weapons and tailor-made for Indian
Sukhoi-30 MKI
specifications, the Su-30 MKI is a variant of the Sukhoi Su-30 and is jointly-developed by Russia`s Sukhoi Corporation and India`s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the IAF, said the report.
China fumes over this deployment and protests.
4. Recent Chinese Diplomacy in Sri Lanka
Recent Chinese contract to build a port in Sri Lanka has left India redfaced and Chinese circling of India is complete. China has huge assets in Pakistan, Myanmar and now in Sri Lanka.
5. Recent Chinese Intrusion
China has started increasingly intruding Indian border as per reports. This clearly is aggression against India and India is more than happy to retaliate now.
India and China fought a war in 1962 over boundary dispute which led to humiliating Indian defeat. Now that antagonism has come out in the open which was under “Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai” garb, both India and China may not go to war again. They have these options:-
1. India has Dalai Lama trump card. With many devout Buddhist Followers in the west with celebrities like Richard Gere, India can play Tibet card against China.
2. China can instigate more insurgency in troubled North East and this can be a real headache for India.
3. China can play up Pakistan card against India. With US with no strategic and clear Asian policy with the new president, Barack Obama, China can surely try to isolate India.
Whatever it is, it surely not good for both the countries. USA and Japan will be more than willing to fish in these troubled water.
Just my thinking
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