Taiwan, India Develop Military Ties

Inside China Today | Jan 2, 2002

[Sawdring]

TAIPEI, Jan 2, 2002 -- (dpa) Taiwan and India are secretly developing military ties to form an alliance against China, a Taiwan newspaper said Wednesday.

"The military cooperation is limited to exchange of military intelligence," United Daily News (UDN) quoted an unnamed military official as saying.

"Taiwan has sent a military attache to its trade office in New Delhi and an Indian Air Force officer ... visited Taiwan at the invitation of Taiwan Air Force Commander-in-Chief Chen Chao-min," UDN military reporter Lu Teh-yun wrote.

Taiwan-India military contacts began before Lee Teng-hui stepped down as Taiwan's president in May 2000.

India has a border conflict with China, so India sees China as its potential enemy.

"For Taiwan, forming ties with India "is like laying a snare at China's backdoor; for India, it is like pushing thorns into China's front and bottom," Lu wrote.

China recently formed an alliance with Pakistan, providing arms to Pakistan to counter India, the article said.

Because India is a nuclear power, the United States fears Taiwan might seek nuclear weapons from India, it said.

India has diplomatic ties with China but has trade links with Taiwan, which is regarded by China as its province to be liberated.

India and Taiwan started their annual trade talks in 1992, exchanged trade offices in 1995 and signed an investment protection pact in 1998.

China has warned it would attack Taiwan if Taipei seeks independence, indefinitely delays unification or develops nuclear arms.

The UDN report is likely to prompt China to protest to India and demand India expell Taiwan's military attache.

Last month, the Philippines cancelled its plan to send a military attache to its trade office in Taipei after China lodged a protest with the Philippines' Foreign Ministry.

[Enemy Of The State]

"Taiwan and India are secretly developing military ties to form an alliance against China"

Well, I guess the secret is out now.

Correct me if Im wrong but wouldnt this ammount to India recognising Taiwan and an Independent entity seperate from China? You can bet your buns that this will have the PRC boiling in their shoes, I just wonder if this will bring the Taiwan conflict into sharper focus forcing Beijing to back up its rhetoric with action.

[Sawdring]

If India does this it will bring a host of problems for itself. I suppose India has had enough of China's encouragement of Pakistan.

[Aaron_A]

But the timing couldn't be better - the United States is now firmly planted in both Pakistan and Afghanistan (& other Central Asian countries). The grand Chinese plans for Pakistan have taken a back seat.