(TibetanReview.net, Oct03’23) – China is to host its 3rd Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation in occupied Tibet’s city of Nyingtri (Chinese: Nyingchi), located just 160 km from India’s border state of Arunachal Pradesh, claimed by Beijing as southern Tibet. The hosting of the event, which takes place over Oct 4-5, so close to a border area with a history of conflicts between troops from the two sides potentially escalates tensions between New Delhi and Beijing, noted firstpost.com Oct 3.
This comes just after China denied visas to Indian martial art athletes from Arunachal Pradesh for the Asian Games, the report added.
Last month, India lodged a formal protest against China’s “deliberate and selective obstruction of sportspersons” following Beijing’s denial of regular visas and accreditation to athletes from the state. China retorted that it had issued the applicable visas to them, referring to visas it issued on loose sheets stapled to, rather than stamped in their government of India issued passports.
Also, in Aug 2023, China released a new official map that incorporated the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin region in eastern Ladakh occupied by it, drawing strong criticisms from New Delhi.
Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani of Pakistan, India’s archenemy, is a special invitee to the Forum.
The foreign ministry of Pakistan has released a statement, saying that during his stay in Tibet, Jilani will deliver the opening ceremony’s address and hold meetings with several regional dignitaries, including the deputy prime minister of Mongolia, the foreign minister of China, and the interim foreign minister of Afghanistan, inventiva.co.in Oct 3, cited the statement from Islamabad as saying.
China started the Forum in 2018 with the objective of bolstering practical collaboration between the countries in the region across multiple facets, encompassing geographical connectivity, environmental preservation, ecological conservation, and the fortification of cultural bonds.
The most recent in-person gathering of the forum took place in 2019. The theme for this year’s forum centres on ‘Ecological Civilization and Environmental Protection.’