Neutering & Defanging Chinese Threat (09-08-2014)

Tuvaluan · Post by **Tuvaluan** » 05 Apr 2015 00:04

^^^ OT for this thread. reply in Iran thread.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 05 Apr 2015 18:30

Chinese troops make incursion bids in Ladakh - ToI

Indian and Chinese troops recently had two face-offs along the line of actual control (LAC) in Ladakh, in the same area where People's Liberation Army had pitched camps in April 2013 leading to a three-week long stalemate.

According to officials in the know of developments, the Chinese troops came to Burtse and Depsang areas in north of Ladakh, first on March 20 and then on March 28, apparently as part of attempts to reach Old Patrol Point, the last established base of Indian security forces.

The PLA troops made attempts to push the Indian troops back but these were thwarted, they said.

Vigilant Indian troops displayed the banners in Chinese asking the PLA to return to their side, the officials said.

Ever since this incident, the Indian troops have been carrying out regular patrols to higher points along the LAC to keep check on movement of the PLA.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 05 Apr 2015 18:35

Ready to link Maritime Silk Route plans with India’s ‘Mausam’ project, China says

Ahead of this week's annual defence dialogue, China has expressed its readiness to work with India to link its ambitious Maritime Silk Route plans with India's "Mausam" project in a bid to address New Delhi's strategic concerns and derive "common benefits".

Defence secretary RK Mathur will lead the Indian defence delegation at the talks due to be held here on April 8-9 during which the two countries would discuss a wide range of measures to step up cooperation between the defence forces of the two countries.

Significantly, ahead of the key meeting Chinese foreign ministry said China looks forward to stepping up interaction with India to identify the meeting point for their strategic interests in South Asia, especially the Indian Ocean region.

"China is ready to work with South Asian countries, including India, Sri Lanka, to strengthen policy communication, identify the meeting point of their development strategies, explore effective ways of mutually beneficial cooperation and common benefit of the region, countries and the people," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told PTI

She was responding to a question on China's ambassador to India Le Yucheng's recent comments to media that China wants to have communication with India to link the "belt and road" initiatives with New Delhi's "Spice Route" and "Mausam" projects.

During last year's defence dialogue, the two sides discussed prospects of joint naval exercises in addition to the "Hand in Hand" exercises being held annually between the two armies to promote military-to-military relations.

Last month, a high-level Air Force delegation from India came here [Beijing] for the first high-level interaction.

According to officials, the defence dialogue covers talks on mutual perspectives on South Asia, the China-India relationship, bilateral military ties and issues relating to the borders.

The calls for policy coordination followed Chinese President Xi Jinping formally launching the multibillion dollar Silk Road and Maritime Silk Road (MSR) projects.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 06 Apr 2015 16:24

MK Bhadrakumar:
http://www.mainstreamweekly.net/article5569.html

Interestingly, Xinhua carried as many as four commentaries between March 30 and 31 on the conflict in Yemen. Reading between the lines, there is a trace of disapproval of the Saudi military intervention and open skepticism regarding the efficacy of a ground offensive by the Saudi-led alliance.

Most significantly, Iran’s role is viewed with great understanding and analysed in a positive light as possibly even leading to its international standing and, specifically, a strengthening of the US-Iranian engagement.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 06 Apr 2015 19:27

China speaks with a conciliatory "forked tongue" whenever its steel meets steel.Read (SL td) the contours of the Colombo Port City project,which was a most audacious attempt by the PRC to build a sovereign Chinese naval base on India's doorstep in the south adjacent to Colombo Port,a stone's throw away from the Presidential Secretariat to boot!

I have always said that India was lost not from the north,but from its soft underbelly,the Royal Navy,which dominated the IOR centuries ago and allowed the East India Co. to squat in Madras,and we all know how Robert Clive expanded territorial control upto Calcutta, and eventually the entire country fell under the flag of the British Raj.

There cannot be any other option for India but to dominate the IOR and possess the most powerful navy in the region,which can challenge the PLAN on its own without any other nation's help. We are fortunate to have huge geographical advantages which we must not nbeglect and establish the closest mil.sec ties with the littoral nations of the IOR dismembering any possibility of the Chinese getting base/naval facilities in the region,esp. the small island nations like SL,the Maldives,Mauritius,etc.
Quietly telling these nations that allowing Chinese subs,etc. is simply unacceptable and will trigger an automatic Indian political/diplomatic/eco/mil response,must be emphasized in the most serious manner poss. It is past time for the Indian elephant to stand up and trumpet,unlike the era of MMS,"snake-oil" Singh,who during his regime abandoned these every principles which had stood us in good stead earlier.Watch "Latitude" on telly,each week for the Indian geo-strategic viewpoint anchored by Maroof.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 07 Apr 2015 08:43

Dragon power on display - Jayan Jose Thomas, The Hindu

China appears to be on course to reset the existing global economic order dominated by the West. The setting up of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a multilateral financial institution, is a significant step in this direction, challenging the long-held dominance of the Bretton Woods system.

Formed largely with Chinese capital and initiative, AIIB aims to fund infrastructure projects across Asia. Indications are that this new multilateral bank could rival the World Bank and other long-standing international institutions established by the U.S. and its allies.

AIIB will have a subscribed capital of $50 billion, which will eventually rise to $100 billion. In comparison, the subscribed capital of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are $223 billion and $165 billion respectively.
Dramatic turnaround

AIIB was formally inaugurated in Beijing on October 21, 2014 with 21 founding-members including China, India, Pakistan, Singapore and Vietnam. Many other countries had initially declined the Chinese invitation to join the new bank, with U.S. allies such as Australia and South Korea allegedly under pressure from the U.S. to keep away from the initiative.

A dramatic turnaround for the bank occurred in recent weeks, as the deadline to apply to become a founding member of AIIB, April 1, 2015, came close. The U.S. was dismayed when the U.K. announced its decision to sign up on March 12, 2015, but in the days that followed, many other countries including France, Germany, Italy and South Korea joined as well. Latest reports indicate that AIIB has now received applications from 47 countries to become founder-members. These include Israel and Taiwan. China will remain the biggest shareholder in the bank, while the shares of non-Asian countries will be restricted to 25 per cent of the total.

The U.S. and Japan continue to remain firm about not joining AIIB. The U.S. Secretary of the Treasury expressed concern about whether the new bank would be able to meet the “highest global standards” of governance or lending. However, it is notable that even close American allies queued up to join the China-backed bank despite stiff U.S. opposition. This is a clear acknowledgement of China’s growing economic influence in the world.
China’s rise

China’s large foreign exchange reserves, which stood at $3,880 billion in 2013, provide it the financial muscle to be on the driver’s seat in the global economy today. From 2001 onwards, China’s exports, especially of manufactured goods, have been growing at a much faster pace than its imports. As a result, China’s current account surplus — mainly, the surplus of the value of exports over imports of goods and services — has climbed sharply upwards. Its foreign currency receipts have soared too, due both to the large export earnings and the net inflow of foreign capital into the country.

China has invested a major part of its vast foreign exchange assets in U.S. treasury bonds, despite the very low returns they offer. For China, these investments in U.S. debt form part of a strategy to prevent the appreciation of its currency, Renminbi. Because of this, Chinese manufactured goods remain competitive in the export markets. For the U.S., China’s investments in its treasury bonds have been crucial to bridging its “twin deficits”, of the federal government and the current account. China’s continued purchase of dollar assets has also been vital to maintaining the hegemony of the U.S. dollar in the global economy.

So here is one of the anomalies of our contemporary world. China is a provider of cheap credit to the U.S., although China’s per capita income is only a fraction of that of the U.S. Chinese workers not only provide cheap goods but also transfer a part of their hard-earned savings to the Americans, so that the latter can continue purchasing their goods. No wonder, according to Hung Ho-Fung, a scholar on global political economy, China has been ‘America’s Head Servant’ (New Left Review, November-December 2009).

Both China and the U.S. have been seeking ways to break away from their mutually dependent relationship, especially in the wake of the global financial crisis. China, on the one hand, is trying to shift from an export-led to a more domestic consumption-led strategy for future economic growth. On the other hand, China is also looking for ways to strategically deploy its large foreign exchange assets.

It is with the above objective that China has been pumping a part of its foreign exchange reserves into the building of new global institutions, including AIIB. Last year, China along with other BRICS countries, established the New Development Bank, with a subscribed capital of $50 billion, headquartered in Shanghai. China is drawing up plans for a $40 billion “new Silk Road’ project connecting Asia with Europe. Chinese currency is likely to be recognised as an official reserve currency by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) by the end of this year. This will be a step towards reducing the global dominance of the U.S. dollar.

The present international financial institutions were created under U.S. leadership at the end of World War II. The U.S., Europe and Japan continue to wield enormous influence in them despite the relative decline of their economies. For instance, the U.S. still has a veto power on major decisions made by the IMF and the World Bank. At the same time, these institutions have failed to give due recognition to the growing weight of China and other emerging economies.

China’s massive investment and diplomatic efforts in recent years have been directed at shaking up the global financial architecture that has the U.S. at its helm. No wonder, then, that the U.S. and even Japan view Chinese moves with anxiety.

India has done well to join AIIB and other Chinese initiatives. Given its huge infrastructure needs, India could be a major beneficiary of AIIB. At the same time, it would be premature for India to imagine it holds economic power similar to China’s. Unlike China, India’s manufacturing sector is weak, its export earnings poor, and its current account almost always in deficit. More of the foreign capital flows to India are short-term in nature and hence volatile. For all these reasons, India will be unable to leverage its foreign exchange reserves the way China is doing.

The Chinese have promised that theirs will be “peaceful rise” as a global power. But the world outside is still circumspect. Be that as it may, China’s offer to provide alternatives to a world economy long used to the dominance of the “Washington Institutions” is, in itself, good news.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 08 Apr 2015 09:34

Troops on Arunachal border to be doubled - Deeptiman Tiwary, ToI

In another assertive step towards a routinely transgressing China on the border, the government has decided to double the number of troops guarding the Sino-Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh. In two more years, the strength of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on Sino-Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh will be increased by close to 10,000 troops.

Home ministry is likely to sanction one more frontier (comprising of eight battalions with around 10,000 personnel) of ITBP to guard the border in Arunachal against transgressions by Chinese troops. At present there is only one frontier guarding the border in the state.

In addition to this, the home ministry has also agreed in principle to sanction 10,000 more troops to the force to allow them rest and recuperation, effectively increasing the strength of the force by around 20,000. This decision has been taken as ITBP is a 100% deployment force with no soft postings. It has led to higher stress levels among jawans and eventual attrition.

Home ministry sources said last week ITBP DG Krishna Chaudhary had met Home Minister Rajnath Singh to push for the twin sanctions. "The home minister was very receptive to the demands of the force and said he was expediting the sanction for 10,000 more personnel to guard Arunachal border. The sanction will be granted soon. On the issue of 10,000 more troops for rest and recuperation, the home minister has agreed in principle, but it may take some time," said an official privy to the discussions.

The eight new battalions sanctioned for Arunachal Pradesh will guard 54 new border outposts to be constructed on the border, said sources. "It will take two years to raise and train the eight battalions. Meanwhile, the force will begin putting up the infrastructure to sustain them," said the official.

At present, there are about 40 BoPs on the 1,126 km Arunachal border making patrolling and surveillance in the region extremely difficult. While on Indo-Pak border, there are BoPs every three-four km, on the Arunachal border the distance can stretch up to 50-100 km between two BoPs in certain sectors.

The force, meanwhile, is happy that Singh has shown willingness for 10,000 troops for rest and recuperation. "We already work in inhospitable condition at heights of over 15,000 feet. Battalions earlier kept for rest and recuperation have now been deployed in Naxal areas. This leads to an ITBP jawan never having a soft posting," said an ITBP officer.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 08 Apr 2015 16:49

Ukraine and the Russia-China Axis

http://thediplomat.com/2015/04/ukraine- ... hina-axis/

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 08 Apr 2015 18:29

Austin wrote:Ukraine and the Russia-China Axis

http://thediplomat.com/2015/04/ukraine- ... hina-axis/

Good piece. Something that BRF too has taken up from time to time. US-Russian 20th century rivalry is allowing China to play one against the other, and thus pursue an uninhibited rise to predominant power in Asia.

However too many heads in Washington love to play out the wars of 20th century, because those are the wars they won, and have fond memories of. 21st century has been too much of a pain in the arsh!

vijaykarthik · Post by **vijaykarthik** » 09 Apr 2015 10:54

What is wrong with the way the brains of our Chinese brethren work?

China may build rail tunnel under Mount Everest, state media reports - The guardian

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 10 Apr 2015 05:33

Assessment of PLA and its fallout:
http://blogs.cfr.org/asia/2015/04/08/jo ... eaknesses/

Commissioned by the U.S.–China Economic and Security Review Commission, the RAND report aims to help the United States better “understand where the PLA falls short of its aspirations” so that “U.S. planners and policymakers [can] respond more effectively to the challenges China’s impressive, but incomplete, military transformation poses.” Blasko’s article on the other hand aims to highlight ten challenges identified by PLA commanders themselves “that raise serious questions about the PLA’s current ability to fight a modern war against an advanced enemy.” While the primary audience for both reports is an American one, at least as interesting is what China might take away from the reports’ findings.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 10 Apr 2015 10:46

Arunachal status still a bone of contention: China - Atul Aneja, The Hindu

China has backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on the Sino-Indian border issue, but, in response to a question, observed that the status of Arunachal Pradesh continues to remain a bone of contention between the two sides.

“We have taken note of remarks made by Prime Minister Modi. China has always taken a positive attitude on the China-India boundary question,” China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said. Ms. Hua’s response comes on the eve of the Annual Defence Dialogue (ADD), which is expected to consider new confidence building measures to impart stability to the borders.

During his interview, Mr. Modi had said: “Insofar as the border is concerned, the most important point right now is that peace and tranquillity must not be disturbed. That would create conditions for us to arrive at a mutually-acceptable solution. This is a complicated and old problem and needs to be addressed with care and with deliberation. President Xi (Jinping) also shares my optimism.”

How can AP alone be bone of contention when Aksai Chin and transfer of Shaksgam Valley by Pakistan are not? GoI must remind the Chinese that these areas, apart from the LAC, are also bones of contention. If they do not refute, it can mean either of the two things: one, there is some understanding already reached on these contentious areas or India's 'policy of reciprocity' does not apply in this case.

Keeping mum is not a GoI option now, especially as the Chinese assertion comes just ahead of Narendra Modi's visit.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 10 Apr 2015 11:49

China cementing reach in South China Sea with civilian infrastructure - Reuters, ET

China's plans for islands it is creating in the South China Sea show for the first time the scale of civilian architecture it will extend across the disputed waterway, entrenching its reach in the maritime heart of Southeast Asia, experts say.

China's Foreign Ministry gave rare detail on Thursday, saying reclamation and building work in the Spratly archipelago would allow for scientific research, meteorological observation, environmental protection and fisheries services.

Navigational aids, shelters and search and rescue facilities were also being built, it said.

While the ministry did not specify who would protect the facilities, experts said the job would routinely fall to the coastguard, which is already leading efforts to enforce China's claimed sovereignty over the South China Sea, rather than its navy.

The islands and reefs in the Spratlys, the main flashpoint in the South China Sea, would also meet the demands for China's military defence, the ministry said without elaborating.

"They are trying to put a civilian sheen on this but I think people will see through this and see (the reclamations) for what they really are," said Ian Storey, a South China Sea expert at Singapore's Institute of South East Asian Studies.

Once complete, the facilities would help China project not just military power but also boost its oil exploration and fishing in the region, he said.

"This will be of concern to all the littoral states in the South China Sea, whether they are claimants or not," said Storey, calling it the biggest change to the region's status quo in decades.

Potent Coastguard

China claims most of the potentially energy rich South China Sea, through which $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year. The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims.

Chinese coastguard ships are frequently spotted by rival fleets deep in the South China Sea.

The Chinese ships routinely attempt to restrict access to the Scarborough and Second Thomas shoals claimed by the Philippines, said Asian and Western naval officials monitoring the situation.

China last year unified and expanded its various civilian enforcement ships under the coastguard, a fleet that US naval analysts believe is the world's biggest.

While the ships do not have the weaponry of military vessels, thus reducing the risk a confrontation could get out of control, they still represent a potent show of sovereignty. Western naval officials say the Chinese navy is more discreet but patrols have also increased in recent years.

A study in the April edition of the US Naval Institute's Proceedings magazine said China was using the "law enforcement cutter as an instrument of foreign policy".

The US State Department said on Thursday the reclamation was fuelling anxiety amid concern China might militarize the maritime outposts. President Barack Obama also weighed in, saying Washington was concerned China was using its "sheer size and muscle" to push around smaller nations in the South China Sea.

Bonnie Glaser, a strategic analyst at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said US officials were keen to find new tactics to pressure China short of full-blown military conflict.

"They need to find new ways of stopping the Chinese from using these reclaimed land features to coerce and intimidate its neighbours," Glaser said.

China's Foreign Ministry said the facilities and services on the islands would benefit China, neighbouring countries and ships that could be at risk because of typhoons. The work was "beyond reproach", it said.

Zhu Feng, executive director at Nanjing University's China Centre for Collaborative Studies of the South China Sea, said the facilities would serve civilian and military uses but "that shouldn't be cause for overconcern".

"The US's anxiety has directly given rise to anxiety from southeast Asian countries," Zhu said.

Airstrips, Cruise ships

The reclamation programme includes the creation of two apparent airstrips at Fiery Cross and Johnson South Reef as well as ports, breakwaters and storage facilities.

While the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan all have airstrips on their larger holdings across the Spratlys, China until now had made do with radar bases and limited housing built above more limited rocks and reefs.

The reclamations will give China the most extensive land holdings, experts said.

It follows moves further north by China over the past two years to expand civilian facilities on the Paracel island group, which have been fully occupied by China since 1974 but are claimed by Vietnam.

Woody Island in the Paracels boasts an extended two-kilometre airfield while Chinese travel agents are offering five-day cruises to the islands.

Some experts believe the speed of the Spratly reclamations shows China is trying to strengthen its legal claim to the area after the Philippines filed a case with the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague, challenging China's claim. China has refused to take part in the case, which has yet to be heard.

The Philippines is attempting to show that something considered a rock outcrop under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea had no rights to a territorial sea or an exclusive economic zone, unlike a proper island.

"By undertaking the reclamation projects, China has essentially destroyed the evidence," said Storey.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 10 Apr 2015 13:08

Iran seeks to deepen relationship with China - Atul Aneja, The Hindu

Barely had the ink dried on the nuclear agreement signed in Switzerland that a senior energy delegation from Iran arrived in China, opening the first chapter to integrate Tehran into the Eurasian economic core.

Iran’s Oil Minister, Bijan Namdar Zangeneh, headed for China on Wednesday, accompanied by Amir-Hossein Zamani-Nia, an accomplished former nuclear negotiator, and now the Minister’s deputy for international affairs and trading. Mohsen Qamsari, the director for international affairs at the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), is also part of the delegation, Iran’s Press TV reported.

The visit it taking place in anticipation of the lifting of sanctions against Iran, in case the final nuclear deal between Tehran and the six global powers is signed in June.

China, which has been one of the mainstays of the Iranian economy after strict sanctions were imposed against Iran, is apparently being prioritised for economic engagement, ahead of Tehran’s possible entry into the global mainstream. Iranian media quoted Mr. Zamani-Nia as saying that China’s investment in oil and gas projects in Iran will be discussed during the talks.

The NIOC officials as well as senior Iranian oil managers are expected to meet officials of Unipec, which is the trading arm of Chinese refiner Sinopec, and state trader Zhuhai Zhenrong Corp.

“China has a number of big projects in Iran, and we’re going to polish and resolve questions about those projects,” Mr. Zamani-Nia observed.

The visit has been suitably prefaced by Iran’s entry into the China-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). The new lender is expected to play a central role in implementing China’s Silk Road initiatives, meant to integrate Eurasian economies as part of an independent new structural alignment.

The Islamic Republic, along with the United Arab Emirates, has joined at a time when the run-up to the formation of AIIB triggered a revolt within the post-War Atlantic Alliance.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 10 Apr 2015 14:29

India trying to use strategic projects as bargaining chip: Chinese think-tank - PTI, ET

India is trying to use its strategic projects like 'Mausam' in the Indian Ocean as a bargaining chip to acquire "special position" in China's mega Silk Road and Maritime Silk Road initiatives, an influential state-run Chinese think-tank has claimed.

"Since China envisioned in 2013 the initiative of the Silk Road economic belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (MSR) known as 'One Belt and One Road', India has been following it closely.

"With a strong sense of its sphere of influence, New Delhi rejects MSR as well as the Bangladesh-China-India- Myanmar (BSCIM) economic corridor and the China-Pakistan economic corridor," Liu Zongyi, an assistant research fellow of Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, said in an article published in the official Global Times daily today.

India primarily attempted to counter MSR with 'Mausam', a strategic project aimed at re-establishing India's trade and shipping links with various Indian Ocean states and working on the idea of Cotton Route, the article said.

Cotton Route aims to firm up diplomatic and economic relations with the Indian Ocean Rim countries.

Indian officials say New Delhi regards Indian Ocean as the key trade route as 90 per cent of its trade by volume and 90 per cent of its oil imports take place through sea.

His visit to three Indian Ocean countries - Seychelles, Mauritius and Sri Lanka - in March "shows India is determined to adopt an asymmetrical strategy to secure a dominant position in the Indian Ocean through bolstering military and security cooperation with these island nations", it said.

"But India is fully aware that a lack of funds will prevent it from successfully engaging in deepening economic cooperation with its neighbours and its plans will in no way substitute for Beijing's MSR. Therefore, it's more likely to use them as bargaining chips," the article said.

The MSR identified Kolkata as the lone link in India while it banks on the USD 1.5 billion Colombo Port City project as the key base. The fate of the project now hangs in balance as the new Sri Lankan government suspended it pending a review of its environmental clearances.

China has now mooted a trilateral cooperation between India and Sri Lanka to link both Indian and Chinese projects for smooth implementation.

"There are signs that India expects to acquire a special position in the 'One Belt and One Road' project. Some Indian scholars point out that New Delhi will not be content with playing second fiddle. Indeed, India's active participation will be helpful to itself, other South Asian and Indian Ocean countries as well as China. Nevertheless, if it intends to gain an advantage through blackmailing, it will never receive moral support from the region," it added.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 10 Apr 2015 15:47

China Uses Size to Bully Others in Region, Says Barack Obama

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 10 Apr 2015 17:56

India, China hope to strengthen border mechanism - Atul Aneja, The Hindu

India and China on Friday began their annual defence dialogue, which is expected to earmark four additional points of emergency interaction between border personnel in the Ladakh sector, and establish new nodes for confidence building, including joint forays to tackle humanitarian disasters at sea.

Highly placed sources told The Hindu that discussions could be wrapped up on designating Track Junction, Pangang Tso Lake, Demchock and Chumar — all in Ladakh — as points for emergency meetings between the border personnel, during talks. The Indian delegation to the dialogue is led by Defence Secretary, R.K. Mathur.

The day-long interaction hopes to strengthen institutional mechanisms to prevent a flare up of border tensions from impeding growing economic and regional partnership between New Delhi and Beijing. “The talks are focused on improving border management through a web a Confidence Building Measures (CBMs),” the sources said. The stability of the border has been undermined in the past because of the varying perceptions of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by either side.

Both sides have already demonstrated their intent to stabilise the border first, rather than seek a quick resolution of the boundary issue. In an interview published on the eve of the talks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that, “Insofar as the border is concerned, the most important point right now is that peace and tranquility must not be disturbed.” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying also observed on Thursday that New Delhi and Beijing “should make joint efforts to maintain peace tranquility of the border area and create favourable conditions for the negotiation of the boundary question”.

With focus on CBMs, the two delegations are expected to discuss Kibithoo in eastern Arunachal Pradesh and Mana Pass in Uttarakhand as additional points for the annual meeting of border personnel. Senior officers from the two countries already meet at least four times a year, to celebrate their national holidays at Bumla in Arunachal Pradesh, Nathula in Sikkim and Chushul in Ladakh.

The dialogue in Beijing is also considering specialised military training exchanges in the defence academies in the two countries. The Chinese side has been keen on training exchanges, in order to build a culture of confidence and openness at all levels. Last month Air Marshal PP Reddy, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC), visited Beijing, and narrowed down the nuts and bolts of military exchanges with his Chinese counterparts.

China considers counter-terrorism as its top priority, in view of escalating terror attacks in its Xinjiang province, which is the vital gateway for implementing Beijing’s ambitious Silk Road projects. Both sides also want to ensure that Afghanistan does no reignite as fulcrum of regional extremism. Thus, the annual China-India hand-in-hand exercise, which is primarily focused on counterterrorism, is expected to acquire greater sophistication in the future.

Ahead of the talks, the Chinese side is signaling the possibility of collaborating with India in tackling humanitarian emergencies abroad. The Chinese defence ministry has posted a Xinhua report on its website, which dilates on the possibility of the two countries working together, following their success in evacuation of their citizens, as well as from other nationalities, during the crisis in Yemen.

Observers say that the backdrop to the defence dialogue is rapidly changing , with China poised to become a major investor in India, and the two countries emerging as founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which is slated to finance infrastructural projects along the Asian segment of China’s, Eurasia-centered, “belt and road” initiative. India is likely to become a full-member, later this year of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which has a security core, centered on counterterrorism, and is pillared by China and Russia. Consequently, going beyond an essentially bilateral focus, the defence dialogue appears to be broadening in view of the security impact of developments in Eurasia.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 11 Apr 2015 17:16

Indian Railways to build station near Chinese border, defence minister says - ToI

Indian Railways will soon set up a station in Arunachal Pradesh near the India-China border, defence minister Manohar Parrikar said on Saturday.

"A draft of the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) is ready and will be signed soon," Parrikar said, adding he has spoken in detail about the project to railway minister Suresh Prabhu.

The defence minister said that the "gravity" of the border issue between China and India has come down as far as Arunachal Pradesh is concerned.

State run China Daily had reported on Thursday that China was planning to build a tunnel under Mount Everest, called Qomolangma in Tibetan, as part of its plan to extend its rail link to Nepal, a move that could send alarm bills ringing in India.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 13 Apr 2015 10:07

Chinese hackers target Southeast Asia, India, say researchers - ET

Hackers, most likely from China, have been spying on governments and businesses in Southeast Asia and India uninterrupted for a decade, researchers at internet security company FireEye Inc said.

In a report released on Monday, FireEye said the cyber espionage operations dated back to at least 2005 and "focused on targets - government and commercial - who hold key political, economic and military information about the region."

"Such a sustained, planned development effort coupled with the (hacking) group's regional targets and mission, lead us to believe that this activity is state-sponsored - most likely the Chinese government," the report's authors said.

Bryce Boland, Chief Technology Officer for Asia Pacific at FireEye and co-author of the report, said the attack was still ongoing, noting that the servers the attackers used were still operational, and that FireEye continued to see attacks against its customers, who number among the targets.

Reuters couldn't independently confirm any of the assertions made in the report.

China has always denied accusations that it uses the Internet to spy on governments, organisations and companies.

Neither the Foreign Ministry nor the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Internet regulator, immediately responded to written requests for comment on the FireEye report on Monday.

China has been accused before of targeting countries in South and Southeast Asia. In 2011, researchers from McAfee reported a campaign dubbed Shady Rat which attacked Asian governments and institutions, among other targets.

Efforts by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to build cyber defences have been sporadic. While ASEAN has long acknowledged its importance, "very little has come of this discourse," said Miguel Gomez, a researcher at De La Salle University in the Philippines.

The problem is not new: Singapore has reported sophisticated cyber-espionage attacks on civil servants in several ministries dating back to 2004.

Undetected

The campaign described by FireEye differs from other such operations mostly in its scale and longevity, Boland said.

He said the group appeared to include at least two software developers. The report did not offer other indications of the possible size of the group or where it's based.

The group remained undetected for so long it was able to re-use methods and malware dating back to 2005, and developed its own system to manage and prioritize attacks, even organising shifts to cope with the workload and different languages of its targets, Boland told Reuters.

The attackers focused not only on governments, but on ASEAN itself, as well as corporations and journalists interested in China. Other targets included Indian or Southeast Asian-based companies in sectors such as construction, energy, transport, telecommunications and aviation, FireEye says.

Mostly they sought to gain access by sending so-called phishing emails to targets purported to come from colleagues or trusted sources, and containing documents relevant to their interests.

Boland said it wasn't possible to gauge the damage done as it had taken place over such a long period, but he said the impact could be "massive".

"Without being able to detect it, there's no way these agencies can work out what the impacts are. They don't know what has been stolen."

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 13 Apr 2015 16:34

China supports India's "desire" to play bigger role in UN - PTI, ET

China, which is yet to fully endorse India's permanent membership of the UN Security Council, today said it supports India's "desire" to play a bigger role in the UN and will strive to work out a "package plan" to reform the powerful organ of the world body.

"We attach great importance to the role and status of India as a major developing country in regional and international affairs," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told media here, responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks that India has the "right" to be in the UNSC and the days of "begging" for it are gone.

"We understand and support India's desire to play a big role in multi-lateral institutions including the UN," Hong said.

"The Chinese side will continue to make efforts with all parties to strive for a package plan that accommodates concerns and interests of all parties through extensive democratic consultation," Hong said

This is the first time China spoke of a "package plan". Asked whether the "package plan" referred to UNSC, Hong clarified that it is mainly about the reform of the UN Security Council.

"Reforms of the UN Security Council concern a wide range of elements as well as the interest of all members of the Security Council. We maintain that we should strive for consensus through democratic consultation," he said.

"The package plan is mainly about the Security Council reforms. The UN is a very big organisation. Reform should not be taken place only in the Security Council but also in the field of social and economic areas," he said.

Hong said that China supports the reform of the UNSC to increase the representativeness and to give more voice to the developing countries.

"The reform of the Security Council bears on the long term development of UN and immediate interests of all members, he said today.

China is the only country among the permanent five to have not endorsed India's permanent membership to the UNSC.

The other four, United States, Russia, Britain and France, in principle backed New Delhi's push for UNSC permanent membership.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 13 Apr 2015 20:06

^^^ Original:
http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_66 ... 4246.shtml

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 14 Apr 2015 04:13

Defense Analyst Brahma Chellaney analyses China's expansionism. Must read.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/ ... 36867.aspx

There is a clear pattern, backed by an identifiable strategy, to the Chinese incursions. With the aid of progressively increasing or recurrent incursions in each coveted area, the strategy aims to create a dispute where no dispute has existed so that China can subsequently demand that it be settled ‘peacefully’ on give-and-take terms. This pattern and strategy are apparent, for example, from repeated Chinese intrusions in Ladakh’s two strategic regions — Depsang and Chumar — where the geography favours Indian forces, lending a distinct military advantage.

panduranghari · Post by **panduranghari** » 15 Apr 2015 17:09

Modi ji could counter this expansionism claims by Chinese stating India considers Tibet to be an independent country or autonomous region. But will he? Or should he?

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 16 Apr 2015 15:58

Dr. Subhash Kapila on "China’s India Policy: Deciphering China’s Long Range Intentions – Analysis"
http://www.eurasiareview.com/13042015-c ... -analysis/

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 16 Apr 2015 22:06

A_Gupta wrote:Dr. Subhash Kapila on "China’s India Policy: Deciphering China’s Long Range Intentions – Analysis"
http://www.eurasiareview.com/13042015-c ... -analysis/

Very good analysis

China has declared Tibet as a “Core National Interest” to be defended by military might, if required. It is also forgotten in India, thanks to Nehruvian mind-sets that “Tibet is also India’s Core National Interest” and no scope exists for India to keep on acquiescing to a historical distortion that Tibet is a part of China. PM Narendra Modi would be well advised not to reiterate this as past Indian Prime Ministers have been parroting it on their visits to Beijing.

China’s borders would never have rested on India’s borders with Tibet, had India under Nehru as Prime Minister not meekly surrendered its inalienable rights in Tibet as the successor state of British India. Tibet lies at the core of competing and adversarial relations between China and India. Is China capable of any ‘out-of-box” solution over Tibet’s future in the interests of long-term betterment of China-India relations?

Short of massive political upheaval in Tibet, China is unlikely to give up its colonial stranglehold over Tibet. Over-militarisation of the Tibetan Plateau and merging greater parts of Tibet in China Proper highlights China’s intentions. China indulged in forcible military occupation of Tibet to push China’s borders to “Strategic Frontiers” rather than adhering to centuries-old and historical borders. India has to live with the stark reality that China will continue to be an overbearing and adversarial neighbour of India.

Tibet as a ‘Core Issue’ for both China and India has generated an arms race in which both China and India are presently engaged which has both Asian security and global security implications.

member_23692 · Post by **member_23692** » 17 Apr 2015 04:43

X-post from another thread.

"China Invests Billions in Its ‘All-Weather Friendship’ With Pakistan"

https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/04/16/ch ... ian-ocean/

No coverage in India. Also no coverage in India about the China's successful creation of an Asian Development Bank, where it successfully got 53 countries including some close US allies. No coverage in India about the Chinese initiative to resurrect the old silk road, for which most Central Asian countries, Afg and Pak have already signed up. even Iran may sign up.

Yup, let us just keep our head buried in the sand, excel at jingoism, keep deluding ourselves and "dont worry, be happy". We got the Canadians to do the "visa thing for Paki", while giving us jingos, "visa on demand".

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 19 Apr 2015 07:53

Xi to do business packaged as aid with Pakistan - Saibal Dasgupta, ToI

By the time Chinese President Xi Jinping completes his Pakistan tour on Tuesday, the foundation of his ambitious Silk Road programme would have been laid. He is due to launch a wide range of projects that include electricity generation units, and infrastructure for roads and ports.

The Chinese and Pakistani officials are talking about Beijing's generosity in providing assistance exceeding $46 billion to Pakistan. But 80% of the funds flowing into Pakistan are meant for building power stations, which will be owned and operated by Chinese companies, sources said.

Pakistani media reported that the country's planning and development minister Ahsan Iqbal said at a seminar in Islamabad that a major chunk of $35-37 billion would go into independent power projects run by Chinese companies. Only $8-9 billion will be given as concessional loans for infrastructure projects, he said.

So the money will flow back into the Chinese companies because the Pakistani government is contract bound to buyback all the electricity produced. "An important purpose of the Silk Road programme is to obtain overseas business for Chinese companies. But state craft lies in showing business as assistance, and China is doing a great job of it," a Beijing-based diplomat of a western country told TOI.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 19 Apr 2015 21:18

Enter the Dragon and the Bear: US Faces Its Ultimate Nightmare – Eric Kraus

vijaykarthik · Post by **vijaykarthik** » 20 Apr 2015 09:23

I wonder if our govt will have some scrotal fortitude to stand up to China when Modi goes to China? Should be nice to see some soldiers camped in Chinese territory. Some Tibetan protests etc etc.

Revenge is best served cold. To. The. Dragon.

Ah, some Japanese / US flights moving into the Chinese ADIZ, accidentally of course, around that time should be the icing, I reckon.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 20 Apr 2015 09:34

>>No coverage in India. Also no coverage in India about the China's successful creation of an Asian Development Bank, where it successfully got 53 countries including some close US allies.

What's the basis of this claim? Again? Didn't someone earlier to you the coverage, which was in fact fairly detailed? Uncle Google is on standby to help you.

>>No coverage in India about the Chinese initiative to resurrect the old silk road, for which most Central Asian countries, Afg and Pak have already signed up. even Iran may sign up.

Again, there was coverage. Are you reading only your posts here?

>>Yup, let us just keep our head buried in the sand, excel at jingoism, keep deluding ourselves and "dont worry, be happy". We got the Canadians to do the "visa thing for Paki", while giving us jingos, "visa on demand".

Sounds very like the sort of thing one might see in a Chinese-controlled newspaper - another version of the "imperialist running dog" - whatever the hell that means.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 20 Apr 2015 21:54

http://www.establishmentpost.com/chinas ... corridors/
Interesting story on China as the driver of growth of trade in Asia.

(I'm not able to cut-and-paste excerpts.)

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 21 Apr 2015 01:36

APRIL 2, 2015
Book Discussion on Is the American Century Over?
Joseph Nye talked about his book Is the American Century Over?, in which he argues that while many predict China will replace the United States as the supreme global power, America’s military, economic, and soft power supremacy will continue for decades to come.
http://www.c-span.org/video/?325116-1/j ... an-century

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 21 Apr 2015 01:52

APRIL 17, 2006
Book Discussion on China, the Balance Sheet
The principal authors talked with reporters about their book, China, the Balance Sheet: What the World Needs to Know about the Emerging Superpower, published by Public Affairs Press. The book was part of a joint project of the Center for Strategic and International Studies and The Institute for International Economics co-chaired by C. Fred Bergsten and John J. Hamre. The co-authors talked about the growing economic and political influence of China in the world and the implications of this for the United States. The panelists also discussed the trade and labor issues that impact U.S.-China relations and commented on the recent visit to the U.S. by Chinese President Hu Jintao. After their presentations they answered questions from reporters at the National Press Club.

http://www.c-span.org/video/?192176-1/b ... ance-sheet

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 21 Apr 2015 01:53

APRIL 17, 2015
China's Economy and the Asia-Pacific Region
Zhu Guangyao, Chinese Vice Minister of Finance, talked about China’s vision for economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region and the role of the region in shaping the global economy.
http://www.c-span.org/video/?325456-1/c ... al-economy

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 21 Apr 2015 15:34

U.S., Philippines start drills - AP, The Hindu

More than 11,500 American and Filipino military personnel launched one of their largest annual combat exercises on Monday amid growing alarm over massive land reclamation by China in disputed South China Sea territories.

Philippine military officials said the “Balikatan,” or shoulder-to-shoulder, manoeuvres, which involve more than 90 aircraft and ships, were not directed at China. But the venue of some of the war games in waters facing the disputed region and a focus on territorial defence appear to link the exercises to the long-simmering conflict. — AP

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 21 Apr 2015 17:02

India: the emerging Asian super power - Manjeet Pardesi, Business Line

Singapore’s defence minister Ng Eng Hen stated last month that his country wanted India to play a bigger role in the South China Sea. The leaders of Vietnam and the Philippines have also made similar statements in recent years. This “invitation” extended to India by the leaders of Southeast Asia to participate in that region’s security affairs is tantamount to India’s emergence as a great power in Southeast Asia, and by extension, in Asia itself.

Southeast Asia connects the Indian and the Pacific Oceans, and includes some of the most important maritime chokepoints, is likely to be the site of order-making in Asia in the context of the rise of China.

Thomas Donilon, who was the American National Security Advisor when the US said its “pivot/rebalancing” has explained that the pivot is not just about “rebalancing towards Asia” but also includes rebalancing “within Asia” as America has begun to focus “in a renewed way on Southeast Asia and Asean.” Furthermore, the Asian-institutional architecture is Asean-centric and Asean-led.

Therefore, India’s emerging profile in Southeast Asia is significant and marks its arrival as a great power.

Solid grounds

There are two main reasons that explain the benign perception of India’s rise in Southeast Asia. First, there are no territorial disputes between India and its immediate neighbours in Southeast Asia. India has a land border with only one Southeast Asian state, Myanmar, which was fixed by their British colonial rulers in 1937.

India has maritime borders with three Southeast Asian states: Myanmar, Thailand, and Indonesia. India’s maritime boundaries with Thailand and Indonesia were fixed through a trilateral agreement in 1978, while India’s maritime boundary with Myanmar was finalized in 1987.

Second, India is not pursuing any unilateral or hegemonic policies towards Southeast Asia. In 2012, former Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, explicitly noted that New Delhi believes that “Asean centrality is essential in the evolving regional architecture,” endorsing Asean’s leading role in regional diplomacy.

Similarly, at the military/maritime level, India not only prefers to be invited into the region , but former defence minister, Pranab Mukherjee, noted in 2006 that India was willing to assist the regional states in “any capacity” for security in the Strait of Malacca subject “to the desire of the littoral states.”

In other words, despite India’s more advanced military capabilities, New Delhi is not claiming the mantle of leadership there but prefers to work in accordance with the local norms and mores.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s recently deceased statesman, welcomed India’s presence in Southeast Asia in 2007 by noting that there was “no fear” that India had “aggressive intentions.”

India has now transcended its home region of South Asia due to its growing power in Southeast Asia, thus becoming a key component of the Asian security architecture along with the region’s other great powers: the United States, Japan, and China. Notably, all three Asian great powers also seem to be willing to work with India in Southeast Asia.

Strategic edge

US President Obama has urged India to “act East” on a number of occasions. Furthermore, the US and India released a joint vision statement earlier this year in which they specifically called for “safeguarding maritime security and ensuring freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the region, especially in the South China Sea.” On his part, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sees the India-Japan relationship as a “confluence” of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

Notably, Southeast Asia is geographically — and geopolitically — located at this confluence. The Japan-India statement on their strategic and global partnership that was released last year especially noted the launch of their “bilateral dialogue on Asean affairs.” Finally, China also seems to be willing to work with India, even if begrudgingly, in the region’s economic and institutional affairs.

Through their 2008 shared vision document, China and India agreed to “explore … a new architecture for closer regional cooperation in Asia, and to make joint efforts for regional integration of Asia.” This statement, which explicitly identified the Asean-led East Asia Summit as an avenue where China and India can work together is significant simply because China was hitherto unwilling to recognize India as a major power in Asia beyond South Asia.

In other words, the regional states of Southeast Asia, as well as the great powers active in Southeast Asia, now seem willing to grant India the status of a great power in that region.

This has two noteworthy implications. First, these acts ‘legitimise’ India’s status as a great power in Asia as well as its role in the security affairs of a region outside of India’s home region in South Asia. As such, India is not seen as an interloper. Second, this empirically demonstrates that the rise of a new great power need not disrupt the extant order as is normally assumed. In fact, the rise of a new great power — in this case, India — can be seen as contributing to the maintenance of the regional order.

Security angles

India has three main security-related interests in Southeast Asia. First, as noted by Mukherjee in 2005, India’s “Look East” strategy is based on the principle of “the maintenance of an equitable strategic balance.”

India does not want Southeast Asia to be dominated by any single great power. Consequently, India is upgrading its naval and air assets in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Located at the mouth of the Strait of Malacca, India’s maritime and air capabilities in the Andamans help India meet its second security interest in the region: the security of the Strait itself. Finally, India’s growing maritime and air capabilities — cantered on diverse platforms such as the P-8I aircraft, the C-130Js, the C-17 Globemasters, Sukhoi-30 MKIs, aircraft carrier(s), nuclear submarine(s), and landing dock(s) — allow India to project military power into the South China Sea from the Andamans.

After all, India’s third security interest in Southeast Asia is to ensure the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea. In fact, India’s regional partnerships — including docking rights at Vietnam’s Nha Trang port — may further augment India’s capabilities.

At the same time, India has been providing a range of security-related public goods in Southeast Asia such as the provision of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance as well as military capacity-building in regional states.

Despite these modest but significant efforts, Southeast Asian states want India to “do more” pro-actively. The crucial question now is whether India’s political leaders will grasp the geopolitical opportunity to ensconce India in the emerging Asian order or if a lack of vision and the exigencies of domestic politics will effectively force New Delhi to squander the chance to shape Asia.

At the very least, India needs to expedite its economic engagement with Southeast Asia while enhancing physical connectivity – land and maritime – in order to demonstrate its seriousness.

The writer teaches at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. This article is by special arrangement with Center for the Advanced Study of India, University of Pennsylvania

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 21 Apr 2015 20:39

svinayak wrote:APRIL 17, 2006
Book Discussion on China, the Balance Sheet
The principal authors talked with reporters about their book, China, the Balance Sheet: What the World Needs to Know about the Emerging Superpower, published by Public Affairs Press. The book was part of a joint project of the Center for Strategic and International Studies and The Institute for International Economics co-chaired by C. Fred Bergsten and John J. Hamre. The co-authors talked about the growing economic and political influence of China in the world and the implications of this for the United States. The panelists also discussed the trade and labor issues that impact U.S.-China relations and commented on the recent visit to the U.S. by Chinese President Hu Jintao. After their presentations they answered questions from reporters at the National Press Club.

http://www.c-span.org/video/?192176-1/b ... ance-sheet

China's growth rate over the last 30 years has been 10 %.In late 2007,the World Bank,based on a complete reassessment of its estimates of Chinese price equivalents ,in terms of USA prices,based on standard purchasing power parity calculations,estimated China's Gross Domestic Product(gdp) to be no more than $6 trillion and not the $10-$11 trillion estimated in 2005 and 2006.This corrected statistic can be compared to the current gdp of the United States ,which is around $13 trillion.Similarly,the alleged rising middle class of China turns out to be at most 100 million out of a population of 1.4 billion.These facts mean that China is not the unstoppable powerhouse claimed in numerous other currently available books on China.The China threat,in fact,appears to be very similar ,in many respects, to the old Soviet Union threat based on faulty economic growth statistics that had greatly overestimated the Soviet Union's economic growth rate.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 22 Apr 2015 08:49

China agrees to host Indian Northern Army Commander ahead of PM Modi's visit - Pranab Dhal Samanta, Economic Times

Moving beyond its earlier emphasis on Jammu & Kashmir being a "disputed" area, China has agreed to host India's Northern Army Commander this year, a visit that went on hold five years ago after Beijing insisted on issuing stapled visa to the officer because J&K came under his command.

This understanding was reached at the recently concluded defence dialogue between both the countries, which took place just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China next month. At this meeting, the Indian side made a strong push on Beijing to demonstrate that the J&K stapled visa issue was now a matter of the past.

It was eventually agreed that both sides will exchange visits between commanders responsible for the Western Sector (India's Northern Command) of the Line of Actual Control this year. The head of the Lanzhou military region will undertake the reciprocal visit from the Chinese side. "When they have agreed to the visit, they obviously know what kind of visa to be issued," a senior official told ET on the question of whether China could still spring a surprise.
{I think that it is a false assumption to make}
This exchange is a crucial element of the web of military confidence building measures both countries have gradually put in place to keep the LAC tranquil and for that reason, the Chinese decision in 2010 caught New Delhi off guard. It also raised levels of public anger against China as its view on J&K endorsed the long-held Pakistan position.

China has continued to issue stapled visas to residents of Arunachal Pradesh because it considers the state to be a disputed areas between India and China. However, in J&K, India's principal dispute is with Pakistan and the stapled visa row stoked sentiments that derailed the bilateral relationship for over a year with India cancelling any kind of defence exchange. India also conveyed through diplomatic channels that it too could take a range of reciprocal measures which could embarrass China, particularly if that is related to the Tibet Autonomous Region.

After considerable back and forth, the matter inched towards a resolution in April 2011 when former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited China for the BRICS summit. At that meet, both sides agreed to resume defence exchange and let general officers just below the rung of the Army Commander. Subsequently, the Eastern Army Commander visited China last year, and so did then Army chief Gen Bikram Singh. However, the political question around the Northern Army Commander was still nagging issue as the matter got delayed with time, which is why, sources said, the Indian side decided to insist on the visit at this meeting.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 22 Apr 2015 10:00

Mr. Modi should "plain-speak" to his Chinese hosts the foll:

1.Any more talk of Arunachal Pradesh being "Southern Tibet" will see India only talk of "Uttar Indo-Tibet" and see India dramatically improve official relations with Taiwan..

2.No more stapled visas,otherwise ALL Chinese citizens who visit India will get stapled visas.

3.The South China Sea is actually the "Indo-China Sea",as its contiguous landmass is so called.India must start referring to it as such in all our media and official statements.

4.End all Nuclear and missile tech cooperation with Pak.Otherswise India will do likewise with Vietnam,India's "all-weather friend".

5. If China sells subs to Pak,so will we sell subs and sub tech to Taiwan.

6.Stop persecuting Tibetans and the Dalai Lama.

7.If China establishes mil. bases anywhere in the IOR,so will we do so in the Indo-China Sea.

8.Unless China equalizes the imbalance in trade,Chinese goods will attract duties corresponding to the actual imbalance.

9.Future Chinese intrusions into Indian territory will be met with steel.

PS:Similar message sent to the PMO.

sarang · Post by **sarang** » 22 Apr 2015 10:37

Should he need to say all this or . . . . . .Just do it as chinese are doing.