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Khurshid to visit Beijing as Chinese troops stay put
NEW DELHI: Amid the persisting confrontation over the Chinese incursion in Ladakh, external affairs minister Salman Khurshid will visit Beijing next month ahead of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's trip to India on May 20 in what can potentially defuse the worst standoff between the neighbours since 1986.
Khurshid is likely to visit Beijing in the second week of May.
Sources told TOI on Wednesday that the government decided to go ahead with Khurshid's visit despite the strife across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh because it does not wish the Chinese provocation to cloud the efforts to improve bilateral ties.
Khurshid himself had told TOI on Tuesday that he believed it was still too early for India to take a definitive view on the incursion in Ladakh's Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) sector and that it should not be allowed to mar Li's extremely significant visit his first overseas trip in May.
Significantly, while the government seemed anxious to de-escalate tensions worst since the Chinese intrusion into the Sumdorong Chu Valley in Arunachal Pradesh in 1986 the situation on the ground did not seem to promise early resolution, with China stubbornly refusing to withdraw its troops who have pitched tents 18km inside what India claims to be its territory. While 600 Chinese incursions were reported in the last three years, the offending troops have never stayed put before the latest one on April 15.
On Wednesday, India sought a third flag meeting between the two armies at a higher level, as the two earlier ones between an Indian brigadier and Chinese senior colonel had failed to break the ice.
The Chinese belligerence has also sharpened the divide within the government on how to deal with the powerful neighbour who has been increasingly flexing muscles with its neigbours from South China Sea to Ladakh.
Govt restrains ITBP, Army
Unlike the dominant view in the government that the Chinese offence was a localized affair and very much part of the pattern in a region where the LAC is disputed, the Army sees the incursion as a reflection of Beijing's aggressive intent. With the rise of China's economic clout, the PLA has been getting assertive along the disputed border. The Army has consistently argued for a firmer response, and is ready to stage a "show of force" to push the Chinese back from what it claims to be undisputed Indian territory.
It says that while local in nature, the incursion underlines growing Chinese intolerance with India's belated effort to upgrade infrastructure in the border regions and that strong display of resolve will deter similar bellicosity in the future.
The reports of fresh violation of Indian airspace by Chinese helicopters was seen as validating the Army's push for a tougher response, with even some sections outside the defence ministry suspecting that the incursion could be designed to force India to sign a border military cooperation agreement that the latter is wary of.
However, the government was sticking to its stance of patient engagement which has prevented confrontations along the LAC from flaring up.
Even in the face-off with the Chinese troops camping in tents 18km inside the Indian territory, the government has ensured that the ITBP and Army don't undertake their occasional patrols, at least two of which pass close to the Chinese tents. They have also prevailed upon an Army section's argument to beef up troop presence in the area.
The confrontation in Ladakh can test the school preferring restraint, especially with Parliament in session and J& K chief minister Omar Abdullah joining the BJP and the SP to demand stronger response.
That there will no deviation from India's stand was evident from defence minister A K Antony's statement on Wednesday. The defence minister, who is expected to be more sensitive to the Army's viewpoint, at least in public, said that India will take every step to protect national integrity and security, but also emphasized "negotiations are on at various levels to resolve the issue peacefully".
Li's visit though is important for India also because New Delhi will be the first place he will land in abroad after taking over as premier from Wen Jiabao. What clearly pleased the government here was also the fact that Beijing took the initiative for Li's visit even though it was actually PM Manmohan Singh's turn to visit China. For the Indian government to do anything which could put in danger Li's visit would be shortsighted and self-defeating.
It remains to be seen exactly when the Chinese soldiers retreat from DBO but the government clearly believes that the situation is not grave enough to warrant any patrol: certainly not enough to warrant a retaliatory strike which could jeopardize Li's visit. The government is hoping that the crisis will blow over by the time Khurshid visits Beijing but even if it doesn't, he is not likely to call off his visit.
India had suggested to Chinese authorities that Singh's visit take place in July. While welcoming the proposal, Beijing suggested that the meeting could take place even earlier as early as May with Li visiting New Delhi.
Li is also visiting Pakistan during his first trip to the subcontinent but that is hardly of any concern to Indian authorities who know that Li's first visit abroad to India will have immense symbolic value. India gladly agreed to push Singh's visit towards the end of the year as both sides were not in favour of back-to-back visits.
In his interview to TOI, Khurshid had called for careful and moderate action to deal with the Chinese incursion saying that the incident should not be allowed to turn into a dampener for the premier's visit.
Khurshid to visit Beijing as Chinese troops stay put - The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Amid the persisting confrontation over the Chinese incursion in Ladakh, external affairs minister Salman Khurshid will visit Beijing next month ahead of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's trip to India on May 20 in what can potentially defuse the worst standoff between the neighbours since 1986.
Khurshid is likely to visit Beijing in the second week of May.
Sources told TOI on Wednesday that the government decided to go ahead with Khurshid's visit despite the strife across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh because it does not wish the Chinese provocation to cloud the efforts to improve bilateral ties.
Khurshid himself had told TOI on Tuesday that he believed it was still too early for India to take a definitive view on the incursion in Ladakh's Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) sector and that it should not be allowed to mar Li's extremely significant visit his first overseas trip in May.
Significantly, while the government seemed anxious to de-escalate tensions worst since the Chinese intrusion into the Sumdorong Chu Valley in Arunachal Pradesh in 1986 the situation on the ground did not seem to promise early resolution, with China stubbornly refusing to withdraw its troops who have pitched tents 18km inside what India claims to be its territory. While 600 Chinese incursions were reported in the last three years, the offending troops have never stayed put before the latest one on April 15.
On Wednesday, India sought a third flag meeting between the two armies at a higher level, as the two earlier ones between an Indian brigadier and Chinese senior colonel had failed to break the ice.
The Chinese belligerence has also sharpened the divide within the government on how to deal with the powerful neighbour who has been increasingly flexing muscles with its neigbours from South China Sea to Ladakh.
Govt restrains ITBP, Army
Unlike the dominant view in the government that the Chinese offence was a localized affair and very much part of the pattern in a region where the LAC is disputed, the Army sees the incursion as a reflection of Beijing's aggressive intent. With the rise of China's economic clout, the PLA has been getting assertive along the disputed border. The Army has consistently argued for a firmer response, and is ready to stage a "show of force" to push the Chinese back from what it claims to be undisputed Indian territory.
It says that while local in nature, the incursion underlines growing Chinese intolerance with India's belated effort to upgrade infrastructure in the border regions and that strong display of resolve will deter similar bellicosity in the future.
The reports of fresh violation of Indian airspace by Chinese helicopters was seen as validating the Army's push for a tougher response, with even some sections outside the defence ministry suspecting that the incursion could be designed to force India to sign a border military cooperation agreement that the latter is wary of.
However, the government was sticking to its stance of patient engagement which has prevented confrontations along the LAC from flaring up.
Even in the face-off with the Chinese troops camping in tents 18km inside the Indian territory, the government has ensured that the ITBP and Army don't undertake their occasional patrols, at least two of which pass close to the Chinese tents. They have also prevailed upon an Army section's argument to beef up troop presence in the area.
The confrontation in Ladakh can test the school preferring restraint, especially with Parliament in session and J& K chief minister Omar Abdullah joining the BJP and the SP to demand stronger response.
That there will no deviation from India's stand was evident from defence minister A K Antony's statement on Wednesday. The defence minister, who is expected to be more sensitive to the Army's viewpoint, at least in public, said that India will take every step to protect national integrity and security, but also emphasized "negotiations are on at various levels to resolve the issue peacefully".
Li's visit though is important for India also because New Delhi will be the first place he will land in abroad after taking over as premier from Wen Jiabao. What clearly pleased the government here was also the fact that Beijing took the initiative for Li's visit even though it was actually PM Manmohan Singh's turn to visit China. For the Indian government to do anything which could put in danger Li's visit would be shortsighted and self-defeating.
It remains to be seen exactly when the Chinese soldiers retreat from DBO but the government clearly believes that the situation is not grave enough to warrant any patrol: certainly not enough to warrant a retaliatory strike which could jeopardize Li's visit. The government is hoping that the crisis will blow over by the time Khurshid visits Beijing but even if it doesn't, he is not likely to call off his visit.
India had suggested to Chinese authorities that Singh's visit take place in July. While welcoming the proposal, Beijing suggested that the meeting could take place even earlier as early as May with Li visiting New Delhi.
Li is also visiting Pakistan during his first trip to the subcontinent but that is hardly of any concern to Indian authorities who know that Li's first visit abroad to India will have immense symbolic value. India gladly agreed to push Singh's visit towards the end of the year as both sides were not in favour of back-to-back visits.
In his interview to TOI, Khurshid had called for careful and moderate action to deal with the Chinese incursion saying that the incident should not be allowed to turn into a dampener for the premier's visit.
Khurshid to visit Beijing as Chinese troops stay put - The Times of India
