Beijing won't make concessions to India in border dispute: Chinese expert

Beijing, April 25: Reming of six places by Chi in Aruchal Pradesh was not in retaliation for the Dalai Lama’s visit to the state, but a way to convey Beijing’s resoluteness in not making any concessions to New Delhi in border talks, a Chinese expert has said.

Long Xingchun, Director at the Centre for Indian Studies at Chi West Normal University, said Beijing was magnimous in not retaliating against New Delhi’s provocations by arranging the Tibetan spiritual leader’s repeated visits to Aruchal Pradesh.

He also said some “radical” Indians were ive in thinking that New Delhi could out-do Beijing in armed clashes.

In fact, Long said, India, which had more advantages in the 1962 war with Chi, should learn from its “erroneous strategic judgements”.

“Indian media outlets believe the move (reming of six towns in Aruchal Pradesh) is Chi’s revenge against the 14th Dalai Lama’s visit to the disputed region on the Chi-India border. The standardisation of mes demonstrates Chi is less likely to make concessions in border negotiations with India.” Long wrote in the state-run Global Times daily.

“New Delhi has arranged the Dalai Lama to visit the disputed area several times, attempting to strengthen control over South Tibet. Beijing, for the sake of friendly ties with New Delhi, only lodged diplomatic representations rather than taking retaliatory measures against India’s provocations.”

Beijing calls the spiritual leader as a secessionist and claims Aruchal Pradesh as South Tibet.

Chi and India fought a brief war in 1962 over the region in which the latter was defeated.

“Border disputes are core conflicts between Beijing and New Delhi. The 1962 Sino-Indian border clashes turned the friendly bilateral relationship into a confrontation.”

“Since the mechanism of the Special Representatives’ Meeting for the Chi-India Boundary Question was established in 2003, Chi and India have held 19 rounds of border talks. Both sides have kept border disputes under control and prevented them from impacting their diplomatic bilateral ties. (IANS)