Indian Defence Minister says China is shoring up its military power along the border/ENG

2011. szeptember 29./Phayul.com/TibetPress

DHARAMSHALA September 29: After several reports of war-footing military build-up across the Himalayas and regular border incursion by the People’s Liberation Army, the Indian Defence Minister AK Antony conceded Tuesday that China was ‘aggressively’ shoring up its military capabilities along the borders with India.

“I agree with you on that China is aggressively building its capabilities in its areas. In the past, India was negligent in strengthening its capabilities in the eastern sector,” he told reporters when asked about China strengthening its military set-up along the Line of Actual Control.

Instead of ‘grumbling’ over China’s military build-up, India has started modernising its own capabilities by taking steps such as raising new army divisions and Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) for aircraft operations, Antony said on the sidelines of the Coast Guard Commanders’ Conference in New Delhi.

While expressing his concern over border incursion by the Chinese army, Antony said that a joint mechanism to tackle border issues would be established in the next few months as a follow-up to the decision taken by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese President Hu Jintao in April this year.

“There was an incident (of incursion) like that few months back and we have conveyed our concerns to them. Of late, we have taken a step to constitute a mechanism to tackle these issues on the border. I am hopeful that with this mechanism, which will come in few months, things will improve,” he said.

However, defence experts and China watcher are not impressed with the Antony’s remarks on border mechanism.

Brahma Chellaney, one of India’s leading strategic thinkers said that the proposed joint mechanism would only give “greater space to China to mount strategic pressure and gain leverage.”

“India is engaging in the useless border talks, knowing fully well that Beijing has no intent to settle territorial issues,” Chellaney said.
By Tendar Tsering