India-China ties hit by visa row (after Beijing refused visa to a top Indian general)

[Turborama]

Source: Al Jazeera English

India has suspended a planned defence exchange with China, local media has reported, in the latest diplomatic spat between the two Asian neighbours. The Times of India newspaper said on Friday that the move was in retaliation after Beijing refused a visa to a leading Indian general who oversees operations in the disputed Kashmir region.

The Indian foreign ministry did not confirm the suspension of defence exchanges but said the visit of General B S Jaswal had not taken place "due to certain reasons".

"While we value our exchanges with China, there must be sensitivity to each others' concerns. Our dialogue with China on these issues is ongoing," Vishnu Prakash, India's foreign ministry spokesman, said in a statement.

Jaswal, who is responsible for the state of Jammu and Kashmir, had intended to travel to China in August for a high-level defence exchange between the countries. Beijing responded by saying he was not welcome because he controlled a disputed area, which China claims in part, the Times of India report said.

Read more: http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/08/201082754840935773.html

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The Times of India article:

China denies visa to top general in charge of J&K

NEW DELHI: India has cancelled defence exchanges with China after Beijing refused to allow the visit of the Indian army's General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Area Command, because he was responsible for Jammu & Kashmir, a state that China maintained was disputed.

In keeping with a practice for the past few years, the Indian defence establishment in June had began preparations for a regular high-level exchange visit to China this August by one of the top commanders of the Indian army — the northern area commander, Lt-Gen B S Jaswal.

However, Delhi was stunned when Beijing responded to his nomination by saying that it was unwilling to "welcome" Gen Jaswal because he "controlled" a disputed area, Jammu and Kashmir.

An angry New Delhi shot off a strongly worded demarche to Beijing, protesting its decision. Soon thereafter, India refused permission to two Chinese defence officials to come to India for a course at the National Defence College. A subsequent visit by Indian military officials to China was also cancelled by India.

Full article, including embedded links: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/China-denies-visa-to-top-general-in-JK/articleshow/6442437.cms

[SkyDaddy7]

1. This is NOT good!

All we need is for these two to giants to start fighting then Pakistan will think it has an opening to fight on the side of China & all of a sudden we have WW3: Nuclear Nightmare!

[OhioChick]

2. Uh-Oh n/t

[Vehl]

3. I welcome India's stance on this issue. Btw Tibet is occupied land!

I started a thread related to this issue a few days back

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9007850


Currently there is an undeclared cold-war going on between India and China.
China Occupied Tibet and claims parts of India(the state of Arunachal Pradesh) as its own.Arunachal Pradesh is under indian rule. Part of Kashmir region, called the "aksaiChin" is currently controlled by China


The first China-India war happened in 1962 when Chinese forces carried out a Surprising invasion of India, and after few days of intense fighting, retreated to their starting positions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Indian_War


This came as quite a surprise to India as a Nation because at that time, the mantra of the day was "Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai". ( Chinese and Indians are brothers) Nehru and others believed that India and China, as post colonial nations, could and should be allies in the modern world, due to their long historical ties. However, This feeling was shattered with the Chinese Invasion of India in 1962. To this day, most Indians consider this a nefarious stab in the back and don't look at china the same way they used to before. Nehru has been called (and rightly so) a naive person when it comes to his dealings with China


The subsequent attempts by China to invade the state of Sikkim (called the Chola incident) further reinforced Indian national psyche against any form of meaningful relationship with China. The last brick on the wall between these two nations was the continues support of Pakistan by China...and the supply of entire nuclear bombs to Pakistan by China in the 80s.

In a recent revelation by a high-ranking former U.S. official, it was disclosed that China had allegedly transferred nuclear technology to Pakistan and conducting Proxy Test for it in 1980. According to a 2001 Department of Defense report, China has supplied Pakistan with nuclear materials and has provided critical technical assistance in the construction of Pakistan's nuclear weapons development facilities, in violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, of which China is a signatory.
Text

China tries to get bases on south east Asia which is its vulnerable underbelly(due to the oil shipping lanes to China) while india on the other hand tries to implement its mere-nostrom policy in the Indian ocean.


This map clearly shows the strategic disadvantage China would have lest any Conflicts develop between these two nations. India would easily intercept the bulk of Chinese oil...which is its lifeline..in the event of conflict. This is the same reason America is trying to support India as a counterweight to China in Asia.





Interestingly enough India accepts Chinese suzerainty over Tibet but not sovereignty

IMHO India should declare that Tibet is occupied territory.
Declaring the support for the Independence of Tibet would be a welcome move by India. By freedom loving people all over the world. The occupation of Tibet is one of the most horrible examples of Bigger nations riding roughshod over small helpless nations.


India and China have historical ties going back nearly three millennia....it is indeed sad to see how the communist regime has not only cut this relationship..but also has done irrecoverable damage to China itself...with its continued disregard for Chinese cultural heritage sites...especially during the time of Mao and the "cultural revolution"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_Revolution#Destruction_of_antiques.2C_historical_sites_and_culture

[amandabeech]

4. Hopefully, this will just be talk.

Maybe they'll just do a few border skirmishes like back in the '60s.

I would imagine that each country wants to avoid anything other than that.

[johnroshan]

5. This too will pass.

India, I'm pretty damn sure will not initiate any armed conflict with China. There is no way it will end well for India. China too is at the brink of becoming an economic superpower, and won't risk international backfire.

Its usually those countries who are either too poor that have nothing to lose or are too rich that world condemnation means nothing engage in frivolous warfare.

[Vehl]

6. India never wanted this conflict in the first place..China should simply stop complaining

Its china that keeps on insisting that India "occupies" its land...the irony being that this is adjacent to land which was occupied by china in the first place(Tibet)

:)

China still tries to browbeat India to no avail...its about time they just give up this notion and be content with what they have. After all what exactly can China do to back up its claims? Invade India? would never work. They should get the hint and stop this childish bickering when its obvious that India is perfectly willing to call China's bluff.

Recently India even sponsored a visit By Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh(which China claims as its own).