New Delhi’s soft-pedalling reflects confused approach vis-à-vis Beijing.
India continues to blow hot and blow cold on China, sending confusing signals all around, while China continues its aggressive posturing. The latest from the latter’s side took place even when prime minister Manmohan Singh was meeting his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao in the Thai resort town of Hua Hin to repair relations that had nose-dived in recent times.
According to Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, the Chinese army stopped construction of a road in Demchok village on the Indian side of the line of actual control in Ladakh in October. The road, being constructed under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, had to be abandoned mid-way because of protests by the Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA).
The PLA sought a flag meeting with the Indian Army and said construction had to be stopped as it was on a disputed area. Omar notified New Delhi, which promised that the matter would be taken up with China.
The Indian soft-pedalling of the issue reflects its confused approach vis-à-vis the Chinese. After months of refusing to acknowledge Beijing’s needling and incursions into India, New Delhi has become assertive. It recently slammed Beijing over a proposed dam on the Brahmaputra and overlooked China’s protests over the Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal.
It also made clear that Kashmiri separatist Mirwaiz Umar Farook would not be allowed to travel to China on a stapled visa. The defence minister voiced Indian concerns over China’s military ties with Pakistan. To top it all, the prime minister spoke out against China’s assertiveness at a talk organised by the US Council for Foreign Relations last week.
“India and China are playing a cat and mouse game and trying to assess each other. Neither country wants a full-scale escalation yet. Earlier, India would generally back off but this time around it has not done so,’’ Srikanth Kondapalli, associate professor in Chinese studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, said.
Kondapalli believes Beijing at the moment is more secure and confident with its neighbours. A friendly government in Taiwan and a new Japanese prime minister who is talking of an east Asian community where China will play an important part, have led to Beijing now concentrating on India.
China will not go for a full-scale war with India as it is concentrating on its economy right now, said Kondapalli.
Beijing is also sending contradictory messages, he said. Despite provocative actions, China is sending a four-star general for a visit to India for the first time.
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