India and China row over border

BBC ^

[traumer]

A verbal spat has broken out between India and China days before Chinese President Hu Jintao visits India to discuss trade and bilateral ties.

China's ambassador to India reiterated his country's claim to a large area of north-eastern India.

But India's Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee rejected the claim, saying Arunachal Pradesh was an "integral part of India".

The border dispute dates to a conflict in 1962.

The Chinese ambassador, Sun Yuxi, told an Indian TV channel the state was "Chinese territory".

India says Beijing is occupying 38,000 square kilometres of its territory in Kashmir, while China claims the whole of Arunachal Pradesh as its own.

In April, 2005, India and China signed an agreement aimed at resolving disputes over their Himalayan border.

India's national security adviser said it was "one of the most significant documents" signed by the two countries.

China formally gave up its claim to the state of Sikkim.

On other areas of dispute, the two sides agreed that "special representatives" would negotiate the issues.

"Both sides are convinced that an early settlement of the boundary question will advance the basic interests of the two countries," a joint statement said.

[jojoba]

That Chinese ambassador has a lot of balls, this is what he said in India this week:

"In our position, the whole of the state of Arunachal Pradesh is Chinese territory. And Tawang is only one of the places in it. We are claiming all of that. That is our position."

The Chinese are engaging in WWII Japanese-style diplomacy. That is, state the extreme in order to get some negotiating advantage.

[jojoba]

Photos of Arunachal Pradesh















photos of Arunachal Pradesh

[cmdjing]

Im somewhat surprised to hear the slobbering coming from the Indians. Afterall, what the ambassador said is merely is a reiteration of official PRC policy for the last 5 decades regarding Arunachal. It was neither new nor provocative.

Then again, perhaps I shouldn't be.

[jojoba]

I wonder what the people in Arunachal actually think. The majority of people in Arunachal are ethnic Tibetan and Thai-Burmese (so Mongoloid-looking). Northeast India is separated from the rest of India by Bangladesh.

I think the Indian reaction is especially strong given the Chinese president's pending visit to India.

[jojoba]

I have a feeling some kind of a compromise will come soon. The Chinese are definitely pressing the issue on the Indians. The Chinese ambassador's statement, though stating nothing new, was worded in a very definitive way. Recently the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (a major Chinese policy thinktank) has also been calling for the return of Arunachal's Tawang to Tibet.

Any compromise leading to loss of territory for the Indians would probably not be acceptable for most Indians. Most Chinese though probably don't know where Arunachal even is on the map.

[jojoba]

I wonder what the people in Arunachal actually think.

Bureau Report, Zee News (India)

New Delhi, Nov 15: Notwithstanding Beijing's claim on his state, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Gegong Apang today urged the centre to reopen ancient trade links along the Sino-Indian border for the mutual benefit of both countries.

"Let them (governments of India and China) talk on the border issue. But we can do business. I have already written to the centre to open nine trading posts along the border for the benefit of the people of both countries," Apang told a news agency on the sidelines of a meeting of the North Eastern Council here.

Asked about Chinese Ambassador Sun Yuxi's claim that Arunachal Pradesh is "Chinese territory", Apang said he did not want to comment on the matter as External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee has already made a strong statement to say that the state is an integral part of India.

I think it is not appropriate on my part to comment on that. That should be left to the MEA," Apang said.

Located in remote and inhospitable terrain, the trade posts identified by Apang include Bumla, Lumla and Zemithang (in Tawang district), Kibithu (Lohit), Gelling (Upper Siang), Taksing (Upper Subansiri) and Michuka (West Sinag).

These posts were closed after relationships between India and China soured after the 1962 war between them.

"Even if there is no road at the identified sites, we should go ahead with the proposal. We can also start barter trade," Apang said.

[Gengis Khan]

The Indian Foreign minister's statement is also "merely a reiteration of official Indian policy" and "neither new nor provocative".

Personally I don't even want Hu to even step onto our soil if he cant respect our boundary. Let alone AP, not a inch of Tibet belongs to China. Our position should have been "China needs to vacate Tibet". Thats how we need to begin the negotiations with the Chicoms.

[Gengis Khan]

The Chicoms can press the issue all they want, there wont be any compromise from India.

[s_asher]

Is it just me or do those people look nothing like indians in india?

[jojoba]

Is it just me or do those people look nothing like indians in india?

They are Tibetan or Thai-Burmese, so they are Mongoloid and speak Sino-Tibetan or Tai-Kadai languages. Whereas the majority of Indians are Caucasoid and speak Indo-European languages.

[Gengis Khan]

"Is it just me or do those people look nothing like indians in india?"

What does an Indian look like?

A lot of people think that Americans are all whites.

[USMMA_83]

There are people in India who are brown, black- blacker than a negroid from dark Africa, pink, wheatish, mongoloid, and what not....kinda like the United States.

[sinoguy]

that was a part of tibet until British army drove tibetan offices out in 1940's.

that is why china insist that it should belong to china!

[Gengis Khan]

"British army drove tibetan offices out in 1940's

....And so China thinks it should belong to China!
....And so China thinks it needs to destroy Tibet once again!

Thats funny.

[sinoguy]

tibet was a autonomous region in republich of china (1912-1949) .
after republic of china was expelled to taiwan in civil war in 1949,PRC took over tibet and deprive off tibetan autonomy.
that is all!

[Gengis Khan]

Tibet was always an independent country except for brief periods in history when it was under Chinese occupation. The Chinese are very much occupiers like the Brits and have no claim over Tibet.