Ten days ago, PM Manmohan Singh campaigned for the Congress in Arunachal Pradesh, announcing a deadline for the completion of various infrastructural schemes under the Rs24,000-crore package he had unveiled for the state last year.
On October 13, when the state went to the polls, China expressed "strong" dissatisfaction over Singh's visit. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu demanded that the Indian side address China's serious concerns and not trigger disturbance in the disputed region, so as to facilitate the healthy development of Indo-Chinese relations. That China's statement came on the very day of the election - when Arunachal Pradesh saw a massive 72% voter-turnout - is no coincidence.
India reacted strongly to the Chinese "objection", with external affairs minister SM Krishna saying Arunachal Pradesh is an inalienable part of India, and China's remarks do "not help" the process of talks on the boundary issue.
The timing of the Chinese statement raises doubts about Beijing's intentions. Why do you think China timed its comment on Manmohan Singh's Arunachal Pradesh visit to coincide with the assembly polls in the state?
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