India’s 35 new border posts ‘provocative’: Chinese Expert

India’s plan to set up 35 new border posts along the Sino-Indian border has sparked off concerns in China, with a Chinese expert at an influential think-tank here terming the move as “provocative” that may trigger a new round of tension.

“The establishment of new border posts is a sensitive issue. China-India border war in 1962 was caused by the forward policy initiated by the Jawaharlal Nehru Government,” Liu Zongyi, an expert from Shanghai Institute of International Studies (SIIS), wrote in an article published today in the state-run daily Global Times.

“Now the LAC between China and India is located to the north of the MacMahon Line and the new posts built by India may cross the line, triggering a tense situation in the border area and thus affecting the bilateral friendly cooperation in other fields,” said the article titled ‘Provocative border posts add to tension’

Last month, Indo-Tibetan Border Police outgoing Director General Ajay Chadha had said that 35 new border posts will be created and additional ITBP personnel deployed in a phased manner to bolster security on Sino-India frontier, which has seen a spate of incursions from the Chinese recently.

At present, India has over 150 posts along the border and the paramilitary personnel guard 3,488 kms of the LAC.

Referring to the proposed posts besides periodic reports about incursions by the Chinese troops and speculation about the uncertainty over Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne’s visit to China, Liu said the Indian Government and the media are over reacting to the “border issues”.

“Candidly the China-Indian relationship has never been that motivated. Instead, it’s the Indian media and Government that each time over-react to border issues. Another target of criticism by Indian media in recent days is Myanmar, which is accused of alleged incursion in Manipur,” the article said.

“There are undefined boundary areas between India and some countries, some of which even don’t have a line of actual control (LAC). Nevertheless, the Indians have an ‘ideal’ boundary in their minds and any other country crossing the line means they are invading India’s territory,” it said.

“India’s hyping of China’s ‘aggression’ on the border comes from its growing upsets and worries. The border issue has become long-delayed and difficult to address and India is seeing an increasing gap with China in comprehensive strength and infrastructure construction along the border,” it said.

Liu’s article followed intense interactions between officials and think-tanks between India and China in recent weeks ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s planned visit to Beijing next month.

Liu also accused India of hyping up China’s “incursions” on the border, “which in fact mirrors the fragility and sensitivity of India’s mentality when dealing with China“.

“It is intended to underline India’s equal status with China in tackling divergences and conflicts between the two and cater to the West. However, India’s narrow-mindedness is harmful to mutual communications and problem-solving,” he said.

Stating that Western countries will play a “small role” in helping India in alleviating pressure of the devaluation of its currency, the article said the proposed $ 100 billion BRICS’ emergency reserve fund many be more helpful.

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