Defence minister’s visit to Arunachal irks Beijing
BEIJING: China on Monday contended Indian defence minister Nirmala Sithraman’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh would destabilise peace in the “disputed” region, saying New Delhi and Beijing should work together to maintain peace along the frontier.
Sitharaman visited forward army posts in the remote Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China, on Sunday. It was the newly appointed minister’s first visit to the state, which China claims is part of south Tibet.
The minister was accompanied by general officer commanding-in-chief of the Eastern Command, Lt Gen Abhay Krishna, and other senior army officers.
China was quick to react to the visit.
“You must be very clear about China’s position. There is a dispute in the eastern section of the China-india boundary. This visit by the Indian side to this disputed area is not conducive to peace and tranquillity of the relevant region,” foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a regular news briefing when asked to comment on the visit.
“We hope the Indian side would work with the Chinese side to continue to make contribution to properly resolve the boundary issue through dialogue and create an enabling atmosphere and conditions for this.”
Hua added, “We hope India will work with China for the shared goal of seeking a solution applicable to both sides and to accommodate our concerns in a balanced way.”
China’s reaction to Sitharaman’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh was markedly different from how it reacted when the defence minister visited forward army posts in Sikkim and exchanged greetings with Chinese soldiers at the border.
Beijing was also furious when Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, visited Arunachal Pradesh earlier this year.
The Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China stretches to 3,488 kms. Both sides have held 19 rounds of talks by the Special Representatives to resolve the dispute.