Admitting that the government was aware of China developing rail links in its border areas, including Tibet and Xinjiang Autonomous Regions, India today said it keeps a "constant watch" on all developments having a bearing on its security.
Admitting that it was aware of China developing rail links in its border areas, including Tibet and Xinjiang Autonomous Regions, India today said it keeps a "constant watch" on all developments having a bearing on its security.
"Government is giving careful and special attention to the development of infrastructure in the border areas opposite China, in order to meet our strategic and security requirements and also to facilitate the economic development of these areas,"external affairs minister SM Krishna said while replying to a question in the Lok Sabha.
"This includes the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh."
He said government keeps a "constant watch" on all developments having a bearing on India's security and takes all necessary measures to safeguard it.
China's developmental activities in the border region also includes the proposed extension of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway line up to Nyingchi.
Replying to another question, Krishna said the government is aware of China's enhanced economic and technological capabilities in execution of infrastructure projects in developing countries, including the recent reports of a Chinese company wining a contract with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority for construction of the Colombo South Container Terminal.
To a question on Pakistan's nuclear weapons development activity, Krishna said the government has seen a report of Institute of Science and International Security Washington on the basis of newly obtained satellite imagery which suggested a step-up in the pace of nuclear weapons development activity in the neighbouring country.
Asserting that it is necessary to have an environment free of terror if Indo-Pak relations are to move forward "concretely and meaningfully", he said India expects Pakistan to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice, unravel the full conspiracy behind the strikes, fulfill its commitment to dismantle the terror infrastructure and to deny sanctuary to all terrorist groups which operate from its soil.
However, he maintained that even after the Mumbai attacks, though the composite dialogue process was paused, the door for dialogue with Pakistan was never closed.
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