Managing Chinese Threat

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 17 Jun 2012 03:48

Nod to US remains recovery sorties
SUJAN DUTTA

New Delhi, June 5: India has permitted the resumption of search sorties to trace the remains of US personnel killed during World War II in the Northeast, mainly in Arunachal Pradesh.

Till five years ago, Indian and American military search teams were looking for these remains since the “over-the-hump” operations during World War II, when US aircraft ferried personnel and equipment from Assam to Yunnan in China.

Late this evening, the US department of defence announced that “the United States and India have agreed to resume remains recovery activities in parts of the Northeast”.

In a statement, the department assessed “that there are approximately 400 unaccounted-for service members from some 90 aircraft crashes in the area during World War II”.

Indian government sources confirmed the issue of resuming the searches was discussed between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and US defence secretary Leon Panetta, a former CIA chief.

But they said they would elaborate on the issue at a more suitable time.

Panetta said, “This is a critical step towards bringing home our service members lost during World War II. The United States and India, working together, can help provide comfort to the families of Americans who were lost during the war.”

“We deeply appreciate the close co-operation of the government of India in helping our teams resume their critical work. Returning our fallen heroes is a top priority of the department of defence,” he said.

However, the development remains a concern for the Indian security establishment. Even when the President, the Prime Minister and the defence minister visit Arunachal Pradesh, China issues demarches saying that they were being provocative.

China claims that the 93,000 square kilometre-odd state of Arunachal is part of its own “South Tibet”.

The Indian nod, as the US department of defence says, comes at a time the US is “re-balancing” its military strategy from West Asia to Asia-Pacific.

The “re-balancing” is also accompanied by a greater deployment of US military assets in its Pacific Command (PACOM) area of responsibility in which India is a major player.

rajrang · Post by **rajrang** » 24 Jun 2012 04:00

China expanding toursim in Uttar Arunachal -

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 365569.cms

I hope India would express concerns over the possible settlement of Han Chinese - disturbing the demographics of Tibet

rajrang · Post by **rajrang** » 28 Jun 2012 06:50

The world's largest multinational exercise - Rim of the Pacific Drills (RIMPAC) 2012 kicks of in Hawaii. India, Russia taking part for the first time.
http://english.cntv.cn/program/newshour ... 1166.shtml

China not invited to participate or to observe
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/worl ... 432113.cms
http://www.china.org.cn/world/2012-06/2 ... 743500.htm

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 29 Jun 2012 00:01

China's iron fist in a velvet glove

China could easily grab control of the disputed Scarborough Shoal fishing grounds in the South China Sea using its increasingly modern and powerful armed forces. Chinese naval, air and amphibious units, working in unison, already have the capability to enforce Beijing's claims of island ownership and maritime control in the northern sector of the sea, where the shoal is located just 220 km from the Philippine mainland.

There are several reasons for China's decision not to use warships. The Philippines is an ally of the United States and China could not be sure the U.S. would not intervene if Chinese armed forces became directly involved in a Scarborough clash and takeover

"The last thing China wants is to see these countries and the U.S. joining hands against China," Chen Xiangyang, deputy director of the Institute of World Political Studies in the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, wrote in the online edition of China Daily on June 11.

This has created a major foreign policy management issue for China as it prepares for a once-in-a-decade leadership transfer later this year. At this sensitive time, and as its economy slows, China needs a stable neighborhood. Yet Chinese leaders bidding for the top posts cannot afford to appear weak in upholding national unity.

So China decided not to wield "hard power" over Scarborough. Instead it is applied softer paramilitary power, as well as diplomatic and economic pressure on the Philippines.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 29 Jun 2012 03:04

NYTimes: South Korea to Sign Military Pact With Japan
http://nyti.ms/MXejgI

Looks like they have joined the Aus - Jap alliance. JDF Spec Forces train with Aus SAS and pool all the intel on PRC. So now SK part of the alliance.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 29 Jun 2012 03:18

shyamd wrote:NYTimes: South Korea to Sign Military Pact With Japan
http://nyti.ms/MXejgILooks like they have joined the Aus - Jap alliance. JDF Spec Forces train with Aus SAS and pool all the intel on PRC. So now SK part of the alliance.

And India is ordering 6 warships from SK.

member_20036 · Post by **member_20036** » 30 Jun 2012 19:47

Accident: Tianjin E190 near Hotan on Jun 29th 2012, foiled hijack

A Tianjin Airlines Embraer ERJ-190, registration B-3171 performing flightGS-7554 from Hotan to Urumqi (China) with 92 passengers and 9 crew, was climbing out of Hotan about 6 minutes into the flight when 6 passengers wearing staff uniforms attempted to intrude the cockpit in an attempt to hijack the aircraft. Cabin crew, air marshals and passengers subdued the attackers, the aircraft returned to Hotan for a safe landing about 16 minutes after departure. Security personnel arrested the would be hijackers. The lead flight attendant, two air marshals and 7 passengers received minor injuries in the fight with the hijackers.
China's Civil Aviation Authority reported 92 passengers and 9 crew on board of the aircraft when 6 gangsters attempted to intrude the cockpit in order to hijack aircraft, crew and passengers however intervened and subdued the hijackers. Public security organs are currently investigating the occurrence.
The airline reported 92 passengers and 9 crew were on board when 6 criminals attempted to violently intrude the cockpit. The attackers were subdued in combined efforts ofcabin crew and passengers, crew and passengers received minor injuries in the fight. An investigation is under way.
Local Authorities reported the six hijackers, who were wearing airline staff uniforms, were identified to be Uighur men, their motives are under investigation.

http://www.avherald.com/h?article=451e452c&opt=0

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 10 Jul 2012 23:39

Good to see proactive work here for once
Envoys called to mull China threat

In a move apparently aimed at countering China’s increasing economic and diplomatic leverage in South Asia, national security advisor Shiv Shankar Menon has called a meeting of all Indian envoys posted in neighbouring countries on Tuesday to strengthen bilateral ties and increase stakes in
infrastructure development in the region.

The meeting —- which will focus primarily on Nepal and Bhutan -- comes at a time when India has decided to centralise assistance to neighbours and African countries under a newly created Development Partnership Agency (DPA) in the ministry of external affairs. The DPA is being envisaged on the lines of the American and British assistance agencies USAID and DFID.

The discussions will be held in the context of China upping its economic stakes in South Asia and promoting bilateral projects in neighbouring countries.
China is assisting more than 36 major projects in Nepal, 12 in Sri Lanka, 20 in Pakistan, seven in Afghanistan, nine in Bangladesh and eight in the Maldives.

Senior officials said Menon will review the progress of all bilateral projects to ensure that they are not kept on the backburner but completed on time.

“Slow progress of bilateral projects is the bane of Indian diplomacy as a result of which China has been able to make inroads into South Asia. The basic purpose of the DPA is to ensure deliveries and accountability,” said a senior official.

Government sources said Indian envoys, including Jayant Prasad (Nepal), Pavan Verma (Bhutan) and Pankaj Saran (Bangladesh) will meet Menon to discuss how to increase developmental and economic ties with the countries they are posted in.

The head of the newly created DPA, additional secretary PS Raghavan, will also attend the meeting along with foreign secretary Ranjan Mathai.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 12 Jul 2012 15:56

China-Japan Tensions Flare Over Disputed Islands - Ananth Krishnan in The Hindu
Excerpts

Japan on Wednesday lodged a formal protest with China, summoning its Ambassador in Tokyo, after three Chinese patrol boats were spotted in waters off disputed islands in the East China Sea, over which both countries claim sovereignty. The boats left the area after a warning from the coast guard.

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, who held talks with his Japanese counterpart Koichiro Gemba, “reaffirmed China’s principled position” and “stressed that the Diaoyu Islands [referred to by the Japanese as Senkaku Islands] and their affiliated islets have always been China’s territory since ancient times, over which China has indisputable sovereignty”, according to a statement.

Separately, China has come under pressure from Asean countries this week to adopt a code of conduct to defuse tensions in the disputed South China Sea, in the wake of recent tensions with the Philippines and Vietnam.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 13 Jul 2012 17:41

ASEAN fails to reach consensus on South China Sea dispute

Southeast Asian diplomats failed to reach common ground Friday on how to deal with a touchy territorial dispute involving China, as a regional conference ended without a joint statement for the first time in the bloc’s 4-year history.

The failure to issue a customary statement following the meeting of foreign ministers underscores deep divisions within the 10-member bloc amid conflicting territorial claims in the resource-rich South China Sea involving four of its members plus China and Taiwan.

The secretary-general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Surin Pitsuwan of Thailand, said the Philippines and Vietnam wanted the statement to include a reference to a recent standoff between China and the Philippines at a shoal in the South China Sea claimed by both countries.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs issued a statement lambasting host Cambodia for “consistently opposing any mention of the Scarborough Shoal at all” and for announcing that a joint communique cannot be issued.

According to the Philippine statement, Manila raised during the five-day conference the standoff that erupted in April between Chinese and Filipino government ships at the disputed Scarborough Shoal off the Philippines’ northwest coast. It said Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario wanted the ASEAN statement to mention that the territorial rift had been discussed.

China opposes efforts to bring the South China Sea disputes into any international arena for discussions, arguing the conflicts should be tackled only between Beijing and each of the rival claimants. Vietnamese and Philippine diplomats have criticized Cambodia, which has close ties with China, for towing Beijing’s line in the meetings in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong said his government does not support any side in the disputes. He added that the failure to issue a statement lies with all ASEAN members, not just Cambodia. Formal statements have always followed ASEAN meetings as a sign of political unity on major issues facing the region.

“I requested that we issue the joint communique without mention of the South China Sea dispute ... but some member countries repeatedly insisted to put the issue of the Scarborough Shoal,” Hor Namhong told reporters.

“I have told my colleagues that the meeting of the ASEAN foreign ministers is not a court, a place to give a verdict about the dispute,” he said.

ASEAN’s members announced earlier this week that they had drafted a set of rules governing maritime rights and navigation in the South China Sea, and procedures for when governments disagree. ASEAN then would have to negotiate with China, which is not a member of the group, to finalize what many want to be a legally binding “code of conduct” to prevent armed confrontations in the disputed region.

The ASEAN countries presented their proposal to China at this week’s conference, though Beijing will probably want to water down any language that ties its hands.

Del Rosario said he told foreign ministers that if left unchecked, the tensions “could further escalate into physical hostilities, which no one wants.” After returning to Manila on Friday, he told reporters that the Philippines and the rest of ASEAN look forward to further discussions with Beijing.

The standoff between China and the Philippines at the Scarborough Shoal began when the Philippines accused Chinese fishermen of poaching in its exclusive economic zone, including the shoal. Both sides sent government ships to the area.

The Philippines has withdrawn its vessels from the area, but Chinese government ships have remained at the shoal, which Beijing claims to have owned since ancient times.

In the latest incident, China’s Defence Ministry said a Chinese navy frigate ran aground this week while conducting patrols in a disputed part of the South China Sea near the Philippines.

A brief statement posted to the ministry’s website Friday said that no injuries were reported and that a recovery operation was being mounted. It said the accident occurred Wednesday as the ship was patrolling near Half Moon Shoal. The area is about 111 km west of the Philippine province of Palawan in an area claimed by Manila.

“We have to hear from them what happened. If it is in distress, we’re always ready to provide any assistance,” said Philippine Brig. Gen. Elmer Amon, deputy regional commander. He said the shoal is well within Philippine territorial waters.

Vietnam has protested a recent announcement by the China National Offshore Oil Corp. opening nine oil and gas lots for international bidders in areas overlapping with existing Vietnamese exploration blocks. Vietnam says the lots lie entirely within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

The disputed South China Sea waters host about a third of the world’s cargo traffic, rich fishing grounds and vast oil and gas reserves.

China succeeds to drive a wedge in ASEAN.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 13 Jul 2012 17:51

India used to have excellent relations with Cambodia. They need to be reinvigorated.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 13 Jul 2012 18:18

RajeshA wrote:India used to have excellent relations with Cambodia. They need to be reinvigorated.

Quite right.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 14 Jul 2012 22:12

What will happen if China collapse

East Asia Map 2008-2040

darshhan · Post by **darshhan** » 15 Jul 2012 11:43

SSridhar wrote:
RajeshA wrote:India used to have excellent relations with Cambodia. They need to be reinvigorated.
Quite right.

Can Angkor Vat Temple be reactivated to this effect ? Some priests could be deputed there and regular Pujas can be held. Ofcourse this is possible only if the consent of Cambodian govt. is there.

Samudragupta · Post by **Samudragupta** » 15 Jul 2012 12:24

The Ankor Vat of 21st Century will not be the Khemer Ankor....the neo Ankor are the Organizations...socio-economics will rule over the theology....we need not send priests but SHG...off course it will be great if they works as priests....

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 15 Jul 2012 13:53

Obama administration describes the efforts as building an electric fence to prevent PRC having any territorial ambitions. SCS could have resources that rival KSA.

Apparently unkil assessment is that PRC for the last 3 years have the weakest leadership as hardly any of the agreements stick due to nationalistic generals. Too much infighting and Hu is more of a troubleshooter than a leader.

In 2009, a US official told his counterparts - you should congratulate your selfs as you have succeeded in having bad relations with nations from India to Indonesia to Japan. Your only friend is North Korea and even there you are clueless.

With regards to north Korea, PRC doesn't want to let it collapse because PRC will have to manage the refugees. PRC will have to be bought off apparently if reunified Korea exists with Seoul capital

kshatriya · Post by **kshatriya** » 15 Jul 2012 14:30

darshhan wrote: Can Angkor Vat Temple be reactivated to this effect ? Some priests could be deputed there and regular Pujas can be held. Ofcourse this is possible only if the consent of Cambodian govt. is there.

Was there in Cambodia recently... Doubt any Pujas can be held. Hinduism is close to Nil right now.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 20 Jul 2012 17:35

India stands up to China on oil block

Anupama Airy and Jayanth Jacob, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, July 18, 2012

India will remain a contender in the struggle for the South China Sea for two more years. State-owned ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) has decided to continue oil and gas exploration in the disputed offshore Block 128 despite Beijing's warnings that this infringes on Chinese territorial

OVL's decision is a volte face by the company, which had indicated just some months ago that it intended to exit Block 128 because of its rocky seabed and difficult exploration conditions.

OVL on Tuesday confirmed to HT that it has accepted an offer from Vietnam's national oil company, PetroVietnam, to stay on for another two years.

"We have accepted the offer by PetroVietnam to extend our contract in Block 128 by a few more years," a senior OVL official said.

Last month, China invited international bids to explore this offshore block.

OVL officials said they had agreed to the extension "well before" China called for bids. Their decision came after PetroVietnam offered more "favourable terms and conditions".

"China can go ahead with its offering but who will bid for a block that is under dispute?" an OVL official asked.

"We have been told by the petroleum and foreign ministries to take a decision based on techno-economic considerations. The fresh techno-commercial data and easier frameworks proposed by PetroVietnam made OVL reverse its earlier decision to exit from the block earlier this year."

The OVL decision, however, would parallel India's official position that China had no "legal basis" for its protests against OVL's exploration of that block.

New Delhi has indicated it does not believe China's territorial claims stand up to international law.

Government officials admit OVL's decision could aggravate relations between New Delhi and Beijing.

It could also insert India into a widening political struggle over control of the South China Sea, pitting China against several Southeast Asian nations.

nakul · Post by **nakul** » 20 Jul 2012 17:42

shyamd wrote:India stands up to China on oil block
Anupama Airy and Jayanth Jacob, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, July 18, 2012

India will remain a contender in the struggle for the South China Sea for two more years. State-owned ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) has decided to continue oil and gas exploration in the disputed offshore Block 128 despite Beijing's warnings that this infringes on Chinese territorial

OVL's decision is a volte face by the company, which had indicated just some months ago that it intended to exit Block 128 because of its rocky seabed and difficult exploration conditions.

OVL on Tuesday confirmed to HT that it has accepted an offer from Vietnam's national oil company, PetroVietnam, to stay on for another two years.

"We have accepted the offer by PetroVietnam to extend our contract in Block 128 by a few more years," a senior OVL official said.

Last month, China invited international bids to explore this offshore block.

OVL officials said they had agreed to the extension "well before" China called for bids. Their decision came after PetroVietnam offered more "favourable terms and conditions".

"China can go ahead with its offering but who will bid for a block that is under dispute?" an OVL official asked.

"We have been told by the petroleum and foreign ministries to take a decision based on techno-economic considerations. The fresh techno-commercial data and easier frameworks proposed by PetroVietnam made OVL reverse its earlier decision to exit from the block earlier this year."

The OVL decision, however, would parallel India's official position that China had no "legal basis" for its protests against OVL's exploration of that block.

New Delhi has indicated it does not believe China's territorial claims stand up to international law.

Government officials admit OVL's decision could aggravate relations between New Delhi and Beijing.

It could also insert India into a widening political struggle over control of the South China Sea, pitting China against several Southeast Asian nations.

Apparently PetrovVietnam would have penalised OVL if oil was not discovered within two years. Hence, OVL was pulling out. They have relaxed this condition to ensure OVL stays put.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 24 Jul 2012 01:15

INDO Australian ties

Regional security issues

Three factors underpin the report’s optimism — India’s growing demand for energy, and Australia’s capacity to provide it; the rise of China, which encourages both nations to protect their interests by consulting more closely on regional security issues; and Australian efforts to reform its international student programme to avoid a repeat of recent quality and security issues. Yet the Task Force warns that initiatives taken to date fall short of those required to convince Indians that Australia means business while Australian stakeholders lack confidence in India’s capacity to improve ties rapidly.

The report calls for new measures to build trust and improve perceptions of each other in the fields of education, diplomacy, media and security. They include doubling Australia’s public diplomacy budget, a new Indo-Pacific or Australasia Division within India’s Ministry of External Affairs, extending post-study work rights to international students, and training Australian teachers in Hindi language in anticipation of it being added to the Australian curriculum before the end of this decade.

The report suggests that as an act of goodwill, extending the visas of Indian students caught up in changes to regulations and tasking the Australian Institute of Criminology to undertake more research into racism and crime, including the events that affected Indian students in 2009-10.

“With political will, public education, and a more ambitious concept of the role that awaits both countries in the Indo-Pacific region, we can and should become reliable partners and good friends,” says the report authored by John McCarthy, Sanjaya Baru, Gopalaswami Parthasarathy, Maxine McKew, Ashok Malik and Christopher Kremmer.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 02 Aug 2012 01:28

http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/ ... relations/
Bitter Boundary Dispute Roils India, China Relations

The boundary disputes unsettling the peace of Asia don’t just involve tiny islands in the South China Sea. Himalayan glaciers and valleys are also involved — and it’s not just India and Pakistan who are at daggers drawn in the Asian high country.India and China have never settled their disputed land border. They fought a war over it in 1962, but maps still show the entire province of Arunachal Pradesh as Chinese or Indian, depending on whose map it is. The standoff has resulted in a militarization of the border on both sides, but, if it ever came to blows, China is vastly better prepared.Things are far from calm in the Himalayan border regions between India and China. News outlets in both countries regularly broadcast warnings and scare stories about looming conflict. Both countries carry out high altitude military training exercises, usually carefully timed:Americans in the past haven’t paid much attention to these border disputes and their impact on Asian politics, but as Asia moves front and center on the world stage, issues like this are going to demand more of our national attention. India’s worries about Chinese pressure helped power India’s drive to get the bomb. The Indian bomb in turn set Pakistan a-building, with consequences that have yet to be fully felt. We will be hearing more from this part of the world as the Game of Thrones in Asia becomes more intense.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 02 Aug 2012 05:31

Why there is no mention of Tibet occupation which is the cause of this problem

Tibet is a foriegn country to China and it has been occupied.

What is in it for US regarding this border issue. They have no say in this.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 02 Aug 2012 13:36

'Brahmos in Arunachal Pradesh', a matter of Chinese concern

Since c. 2011, China has been replacing its liquid-fuelled CSS-2 (DongFeng 3) missiles in TAR with more modern solid-fuelled Medium Range Ballistic Missile CSS-5 (also known as DongFeng 21) with 250 kT nuclear warheads. The Chinese, while not denying the development, simply said that it was “normal for the Army to develop and renew weapons and equipment given the progress of science and technology”, thus admitting to the accuracy of the Pentagon report. In October 2011, the PLA conducted a live-fire drill comprising air force and armour and artillery units in TAR. In March 2012, the PLAAF J-10 fighters, suitably modified to operate in Tibetan conditions, conducted a live-fire ground attack drill. In June 2012, the PLA conducted a live-fire drill in TAR for anti-tank units to “test their precision strike capability” A brigade under the Tibet Military Area Command of the PLA organised its anti-tank unit to conduct a live-fire drill in “a bid to uplift the psychological quality of the troops, enhance and test their precision strike capability”. In July 2012, PLA conducted a high altitude exercise with a new type of surface-to-air missile (tailor-made for rarefied atmosphere in TAR) in TAR. The exercise was carried out at a mountain pass at an altitude of 5000 metres by a mobile PLA unit, and that three missiles were successfully fired at enemy aircraft targets in the “South-east” direction, the only country lying in that direction being India.

All the above are to be accepted as part of a 'peacefully rising' China. The proposed deployment of Brahmos, however, seriously destabilizes peace in the region.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 04 Aug 2012 09:41

China Rules Out War - Aug. 4, 1962

That was just 2½ months before the bloody attack. So, do not go by words.

Marshal Chen Yi, Chinese Vice-Premier and Foreign Minister, said in Geneva on August 3 that even if incidents of a local nature took place in the border areas, “there could be no question of any widespread war between China and India.” Speaking in an interview broadcast by the Italian-Swiss radio-television network, he said it was only after the “flight of the Dalai Lama into India” in 1959 that India began to speak of “Chinese aggression against her territory and penetration of Chinese troops.”

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 06 Aug 2012 04:48

SSridhar wrote:China Rules Out War - Aug. 4, 1962

That was just 2½ months before the bloody attack. So, do not go by words.
Marshal Chen Yi, Chinese Vice-Premier and Foreign Minister, said in Geneva on August 3 that even if incidents of a local nature took place in the border areas, “there could be no question of any widespread war between China and India.” Speaking in an interview broadcast by the Italian-Swiss radio-television network, he said it was only after the “flight of the Dalai Lama into India” in 1959 that India began to speak of “Chinese aggression against her territory and penetration of Chinese troops.”

This could be one of the reason based on which JLN and the Indian establishment may have thought a local border issue will remain only local issue in 1962.

But PRC and Mao, Chau en Lai had bigger plans and a global agenda. They used the cuban crisis and global situation to create a devastating impact on India making the border issue into a global strategic war.

RoyG · Post by **RoyG** » 06 Aug 2012 08:29

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 06 Aug 2012 10:06

China summons US diplomat over South China Sea row - Ananth Krishnan in The Hindu

China said on Sunday it had summoned the U.S. embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission to lodge “serious representations” over a statement from Washington accusing Beijing of risking escalating tensions in the disputed South China Sea.

RoyG · Post by **RoyG** » 13 Aug 2012 00:56

[youtube]MQr0AOADtIQ&feature=related[/youtube]

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 18 Aug 2012 20:27

India boring border tunnels to take on China, Pakistan

Rajat Pandit, TNN Aug 16, 2012, 03.49AM IST
Tags:

NEW DELHI: India is finally kick-starting the plan to build as many as 18 tunnels along the borders with Pakistan and China for faster troop mobility as well as storage of critical war-fighting assets like missiles, without the threat of detection by enemy satellites and spy drones.

While preliminary work on seven tunnels is underway after requisite approvals, the construction of 11 more tunnels in Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh is now on the drawing board after "a strong endorsement'' by the Army.

With China resorting to "tunnelling in a big way'' to store important military equipment, the Army wants the tunnel construction plans in the mountains in J&K and north-east to be fast-tracked. "The tunnels will provide shelter to troops and ammunition from both enemy shelling and extreme weather. They can also be used for NBC (nuclear, chemical, biological) protection and establishing command and control centres,'' said a top official.

Actual construction work is underway only in one of the 18 proposed tunnels. But, this long-delayed 8.82-km long horse-shoe shaped tunnel under the 13,400-feet Rohtang Pass, on the Manali-Sarchu-Leh axis, is unlikely to meet its completion deadline of February, 2015. Feasibility studies and preparation of detailed project reports (DPRs) for three more tunnels at Zozila, Z-Morh and Razdhan Pass in J&K are in progress, while similar work is planned for Khardungla and Sadhana Pass in J&K and Theng in Sikkim. The other proposed tunnels include Rangpo in Sikkim and on the Balipara-Charduar-Tawang axis in Arunachal Pradesh.

The Army is anxious the existing large gaps in border infrastructure — in terms of all-weather roads, tunnels, strategic railway lines, "permanent defences'' and the like — are plugged as fast as possible. China, for instance, can move around 30 divisions (each with over 15,000 soldiers) to the borders within 30 days to outnumber Indian forces by at least 3:1 after undertaking massive infrastructure development all along the 4,057-km Line of Actual Control, as earlier reported by TOI. An empowered committee under defence secretary Shashikant Sharma is scrutinizing DPRs for the proposed overall "capability development plan on the northern borders'' worth Rs 26,155 crore. While this is slated is slated for completion by 2020-2021, there is an ongoing Rs 9,243 crore project for "infrastructure development in the eastern theatre'' by 2016-2017.

The Army hopes the projects are not hit by huge time overruns like the 73 all-weather roads earmarked for construction along the three sectors of LAC close to a decade ago. Defence minister A K Antony admitted in LS this week that just 16 of those roads have been finished till now, with another 26 slated for completion by 2013, and 19 more by 2016.

India has told China of concern over Chinese troops in PoK:

PTI | 08:08 PM,Aug 17,2012

Kaur New Delhi, Aug 17 (PTI) India has raised with China the issue of presence of Chinese security forces in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and has conveyed that Pakistan has been illegally occupying parts of Jammu and Kashmir since 1947, government told the Lok Sabha today. "Government is aware that China is executing infrastructure projects in PoK," Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur said in a written reply. "Government has raised this issue with the Chinese side and has clearly conveyed India\'s consistent position that Pakistan has been in illegal occupation of parts of Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir since 1947," Kaur said. China regards Kashmir as a bilateral matter to be settled between India and Pakistan, she said, adding "government has conveyed its concerns to China and about their activities in PoK and has asked them to cease such activities." Replying to a separate question on violation of Line of Actual Control (LAC) by Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh, she said "China disputes the international boundary between India and China. There is no commonly delineated LAC in the border areas between India and China."

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 18 Aug 2012 21:07

OT but could include Bangladesh also as part/continuation/extension of some project.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 18 Aug 2012 21:36

^^ Depends on the party in power there. Current party has given us a lot of help.

shyamd · Post by **shyamd** » 19 Aug 2012 19:59

Three is company: India embraces trilateral diplomacy

Indrani Bagchi, TNN | Aug 19, 2012, 01.43PM IST

NEW DELHI: It's the season for trilaterals. India, Afghanistan and US are preparing for their first trilateral meeting in a few weeks time. A few weeks ago, Pakistan and Afghanistan met for another trilateral with UK.

The trilateral or "minilateral" is acquiring a fashionable status in international diplomacy and trading arrangements, because its seen as being small, businesslike and fleet-footed. From being a somewhat hesitant beginner, India has become an enthusiastic participant. By the end of October, India, US and Japan are scheduled to hold their next trilateral, which is now being seen as a template for other trilaterals. Trilaterals are being seen as an easy forum for small groups of countries to solve common problems or build on common interests.

India held its first trilateral (at track one-and-half, which means there was only partial official presence) with Japan and Korea a few months ago. Although the meeting was overshadowed by residual tension between Japan and Korea over Korea's last minute refusal to sign an intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan. But this trilateral may become official sooner rather than later.

Probably the most important security trilateral that India holds is with Sri Lanka and Maldives, at the NSA level. This is directly connected to India's strategic and security interests in the Indian Ocean, one where the other two countries have equal stakes.

Australia has asked India to start two trilateral arrangements, one with the US and the second with Indonesia. India has been cool to the first, though the second has a much better chance of becoming reality. Australia, though an important relationship and one that is growing daily, suffers from two weaknesses where the Indian system is concerned. First, it's seen as a junior partner to the US, which affects Indian perception; and second, the Indians fear that Australia may be the first to buckle under Chinese pressure, if Beijing takes exceptions to these meetings.

The second impression unfortunately, goes back to the first "minilateral" in this region - the quadrilateral, started in the wake of the 2004 tsunami between India, Japan, Australia and US. After China bore down on the members of the quadrilateral in the wake of a Malabar naval exercise in 2007, Australia was the first to quit the group.

There is one trilateral that will not happen for some time - China, India and US. Beijing has shown no interest in an invitation to such a trilateral, said sources, partly because Beijing believes it has a broad enough relationship with the US and India is not yet in that league. However, it has conceded to some track-2 efforts to keep both US and India off its back.

India used to have a trilateral with Russia and China, but that has got absorbed into BRICS. But India continues to hold on to the IBSA, a trilateral "among democracies".

Nearer home, a trilateral grouping in the making is between India, Myanmar and Thailand. With India pushing a trilateral highway connecting the three countries, trade and connectivity will be the glue for this group. The three heads of government are likely to meet together on the sidelines of the Asean-India summit here in December.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 20 Aug 2012 17:43

^She has not mentioned the US-India-Japan trilateral which has a direct bearing on PRC.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 20 Aug 2012 17:49

India upset after Colombo sells prime plot to Chinese entity after promising it to GoI

While the plot on the prestigious Galle Road, owned by a private agency, was said to have been promised to the Indian high commission, it turns out that the same plot has been allotted to a Chinese state-owned aviation company which also maintains close links with Pakistan, leading India to strongly take up the matter with the Sri Lankan foreign ministry.

While the sale of a plot to the Chinese may seem innocuous, the fact that it may come at the expense of India is likely to further exacerbate India's growing concerns over Beijing successfully expanding its base in Sri Lanka.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 30 Aug 2012 08:56

India ill-prepared to deal with China, warns Shyam Saran

“China is the one power which impinges most directly on India’s geopolitical space,” Mr. Saran said, while delivering the prestigious K. Subrahmanyam Memorial Lecture on Wednesday. “It is not necessary,” Mr. Saran argued, “that this adversarial relationship will inevitably generate tensions or, worse, another military conflict, but in order to avoid that India needs to fashion a strategy which is based on a constant familiarity with the Chinese strategic calculus.”

China’s strategic appraisal of India, Mr. Saran said, was contingent on the broader geostrategic environment. In 2005, he noted, China concluded a significant agreement of principles to settle its border disputes with India — responding to India’s deepening relationship with the United States and Europe. Later, though, as doubts arose on the durability of India’s rise, China held back.

In recent months, Mr. Saran said, China once again appeared to be changing course on India, in the face of a backlash against its posture in the South China Sea, the United States’ decision to enhance its military assets in the Pacific, and persistent domestic unrest in Xinjiang and Tibet.

Mr. Saran said New Delhi had been “unable to engage in active and imaginative diplomacy to leverage this opportunity to India’s enduring advantage.”

Mr. Saran provided a rare insider account of the last major India-China military standoff — the Wangdung Incident. The previous year, he recalled, China had begun to signal it was unwilling to legitimise the ceasefire line arrived at after the 1962 war as a border. “It was also conveyed to us,” he said, “that at a minimum Tawang would have to be transferred to the Chinese side.”

“When we pointed out,” Mr. Saran said, “that just 3 years back in 1982 Deng Xiaoping had himself spelt out the package proposal as we had hitherto understood it, the response was that we may have read too much into his words.”

Later, in 1986 Indian troops discovered that Chinese troops had crossed the Thagla ridge, and built permanent barracks as well as a helipad on a key feature.

“I recall accompanying Ambassador K.P.S. Menon to lodge a protest with the then Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister,” Mr. Saran said, “and being witness to a most undiplomatic, offensive and vituperative harangue by the latter.”

K. Sundarji, India’s Army Chief, meanwhile used India’s new strategic airlift capabilities to move troops to occupy parallel positions — setting up posts just 10 metres from the new Chinese positions.

India’s own political leadership, Mr. Saran said, was taken by surprise by the mercurial General Sundarji’s actions — and the Chinese infuriated. However, he argued, the operation paid off. {I would have been happy if he had not mentioned the reaction of India's political leadership} “While we may not have planned it this way, the Chinese judged our actions through their own prism: that we had countered their unexpected move by a well orchestrated counter move of our own.”

“The lesson to be drawn,” Mr. Saran concluded, “is not that we should be militarily provocative but that we should have enough capabilities deployed to convince the other side that aggressive moves would invite counter-moves.”

rajanb · Post by **rajanb** » 30 Aug 2012 10:33

^^^

I totally agree with Mr. Saran.

First we have to keep improving and flexing our military muscle. Second we need to ensure our economy flourishes. Third, diplomatically we must surround them. Fourth, if provoked we must thumb our noses at them. And fifth, we must trade with them.

The new panchsheel, wot?

darshhan · Post by **darshhan** » 30 Aug 2012 16:10

rajanb wrote:^^^

I totally agree with Mr. Saran.

First we have to keep improving and flexing our military muscle. Second we need to ensure our economy flourishes. Third, diplomatically we must surround them. Fourth, if provoked we must thumb our noses at them. And fifth, we must trade with them.

The new panchsheel, wot?

Rajanb ji, The second point looks increasingly unlikely for the near future.

rajanb · Post by **rajanb** » 30 Aug 2012 16:59

^^^
We are far from achieving the first one. If we had and when we will, the rest will fall into place.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 30 Aug 2012 23:29

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2012/08/ ... .html?_r=1
China Defense Chief Plans Rare India Trip, to Discuss Border

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - China's defense minister is due to visit India next week to seek deeper military ties, in a rare trip seen as a sign Beijing wants to stabilize its heavily fortified Himalayan border as it deals with growing friction in the South China Sea.General Liang Guanglie will be the first Chinese defense minister to visit neighboring India in six years, a period that has seen a buildup of infrastructure and weapons in disputed regions on both sides of the border. Guanglie will arrive in New Delhi on September 2 and leave on September 6, the Indian government said in a statement. Measures to increase "peace and tranquility" along the border are on the agenda. The two sides will also discuss measures to promote defense cooperation between their armed forces," the Indian government said. Zhang Li, a professor of South Asian studies at China's Sichuan University, said the visit signaled a desire for stability on the Indian border at a time when China is facing rising tension off its coasts. "China and India have not made any progress at all in talks about their territorial dispute. China hopes to have a stable relationship with India, including having military exchanges. "The visit is also about the situation on its other borders, the maritime disputes in the South China Sea and East China Sea," Zhang said.

Explain the recent aritciles in Indian media about China

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 31 Aug 2012 01:11

The fact is that the economy and political condition inside PRC is in a critcal stage and they need quiet time for next 10 years. New leadership will come in this year