Posted on 09/18/2011 12:44:26 AM PDT by coldphoenix
India has upped the ante against Chinese activities in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.
A few months ago, when China sent a diplomatic protest (demarche) to India regarding proposed oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea off Vietnam, India had refused to entertain it. Instead, in its reply, India told China that it should stop its activities in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (POK).
In fact, India has followed up its criticism with another strongly worded representation to China, issued a few weeks ago, asking it to stop its activities in PoK. India said Pakistan was in illegal occupation of that part of Kashmir and Chinese activities were in contravention of international norms. In Vietnam, India's ONGC and Petro Vietnam are in a joint venture in oil exploration in the South China Sea. India bought BP's assets in the project after it exited in 2006.
India has particular concerns on two infrastructure projects by China in PoK: the Diamer-Bhasha dam and upgradation of the Karakoram Highway. While China has insisted that these are all civilian in nature, India remains concerned that the Chinese presence here poses a security threat. In 2010, foreign minister SM Krishna told his Chinese counterpart that Kashmir was a "core" issue for India in the way that Tibet and Taiwan were "core" issues for China. This was in response to the stapled visas that China issues to Indian citizens from Jammu and Kashmir.
Answering questions in Rajya Sabha last month, the foreign ministry had said, "Government is aware that China is executing infrastructure projects in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. 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 the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir since 1947. Government has conveyed its concerns to China about their activities in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, and asked them to cease such activities."
During a recent visit to China by Pakistan president Asif Zardari, he took along the PM and other notables from PoK even to Xinjiang. This was accepted without question by the Chinese authorities. Given that China issues stapled visas to Indians from J&K on the grounds that it was "disputed", the Chinese silence on the PoK presence in the Zardari delegation was interpreted as meaning that China considered PoK a legitimate part of Pakistan. This would be double standards, said Indian officials.
In April 2011, the Northern Army commander, Lt Gen KT Parnaik, had said at a seminar, "Chinese presence in Gilgit-Baltistan and the Northern Areas is increasing steadily... There are many people who are concerned about the fact that if there was to be hostility between us and Pakistan, what would be the complicity of Chinese. Not only they are in the neighbourhood but the fact is that they are actually present and stationed along the LoC."
It's unlikely that China will back off from its PoK presence, just as it will be difficult for India to do so in the South China Sea as well. China pushed matters there recently by harassing an Indian ship in the waters. This prompted India to clearly articulate its position that it considered South China Sea to be international waters and that India stood for freedom of navigation in these waters.
India warns China that it’s accumulating bad karma, huh.
a big came of chess. Neither side will attack the other directly of course.
bttt
All Whom May Find This of Interest:
Re: “China warns India, India ignores and warns China instead” as per :) the macho machos of this board :) or...
“China Warns India, Now India Warns China” as per the headings in the 1913Intel pages, and further still...
“Keep off PoK, India warns China” as per subject heading direct from The Times of India...
Yes, take your pick Guys... I mean I have no idea which line sounds tougher or more macho macho... But, if any of you Guys can still recall, I did mentioned earlier that I dare the both of them to put their money where their mouth is... Meaning show some substance instead of just all talks and no action...
I mean hell! All of these word of mouth tit for tats are nothing but empty promises, nil commitments, and plain egotistic rhetorics...
My position is this: rather than just empty talks, these two should go at it and get thing over with for once and for good instead of just “talking-big” with nothing to show for. So, are you game China and India?
Hey! If it was us westerners, we’d say what we mean and mean what we say as is in the case of how we squeeze the ba!!s out of Gadhafi and type :)...
Re: a big came of chess. Neither side will attack the other directly of course.
Big game of chess. Neither side will attack the other directly???
I would say that “that logic” definitely applies if the rivals are between the US and EU lead alliance, Russia, and with another factor in the game — the one’s we routinely pick on as the ChiComs :)...
But between Asian rivals? My best bet is, as the term goes — “Give us your best shots!”
Re: India has already delivered the punch with going ahead with oil and gas exploration and naval alliance with Vietnam in response to Chinese naval buildup at Gwadar (Pakistan), Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Cocos Islands...
**************************
That is why “I dare the Chinese government, :) or the Chink-ChiComs :) by our terminology have b*lls enough to put their money where there mouth is :)...
Question is: Will Beijing be forced into taking such drastic measures? Honestly, I don’t know. But, if the Chinese are as “face-saving of an animal” as we understand them to be, my speculation is that, ultimately, they will have no choice in the matter but to deliver as promised.
I suspect that the offering to Pakistan technical assistance in the contested region of Kashmir which had resulted in dire warning from Delhi might be the point they are making with respect to what the terminology “warning” is meant by the Beijingese.
Will this tit for tat take on a totally new phase of hostility? Again, I do not know. I sure as the hell Delhi have the b*lls enough to up the antes and I sure as the hell hope the Chinese does as well...
It isn’t really a question of who has more b*lls to up the ante. With US influence slowing diminishing from the region, China has been making aggressive moves to fill in the power vacuum and expand her sphere of influence. It is very possible that some countries will bend to Chinese interest while other countries will defy the Chinese and seek to align themselves with counter balancing influences in the region.
It isn’t really a question of who has more b*lls to up the ante. With US influence slowing diminishing from the region, China has been making aggressive moves to fill in the power vacuum and expand her sphere of influence. It is very possible that some countries will bend to Chinese interest while other countries will defy the Chinese and seek to align themselves with counter balancing influences in the region.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.