(TibetanReview.net, Apr03, 2018) – China has described as provocations measures being taken by India to counter its own massive new deployment of troops and other military assets in the Tibetan border regions after the 73-day Doklam military standoff last year. The provocations will destroy the foundation of mutual trust and undermine bilateral ties, said China’s official globaltimes.cn Apr 1, citing a Chinese analyst.
The analyst’s remark was said to be in response to a report by India’s PTI news agency Mar 31 that New Delhi had deployed more troops and significantly increased patrols along the border with Chinese ruled Tibet following the Doklam face-off of Jun-Sep 2017.
The report also cited Indian military officials as saying New Delhi was also strengthening its surveillance of Chinese activities and had been regularly deploying helicopters to carry out reconnaissance.
While being silent about the reported massive deployments carried out by China itself after the Doklam standoff, the report cited Zhao Gancheng, director of the Center for Asia-Pacific Studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, as saying India’s alleged provocations will destroy mutual trust and aggravate the delicate regional situation.
“India keeps enhancing its military deployment along the border because it has never believed the border region will become peaceful,” Zhao has said.
India has also stepped up infrastructure construction along the border with China including roads, airports and tunnels to transport military equipment, Zhao has added.
India redoubled its effort in recent years to build its border infrastructure after decades of total neglect, noting with alarm the extent of the development carried out by China during all those years on the Tibetan side of the border.
