Indian politicians use China threat to win votes: Chinese daily

Highlighting the recent “tent confrontations” between the

Indian and Chinese armies in the Ladakh region,the article

said,”By making waves about China,Indian politicians can

avoid domestic problems,bolster up national morale,and raise

votes. And on the international level,India can obtain

advanced weaponry and technologies from Western countries.”

“Currently,Indian policymakers have a relatively clear judgment on Sino-Indian relations and Indian-US ones. India

doesn’t have the ability to directly confront China yet,and

as a country prioritising economic development,India is in

need of a peaceful neighboring environment,” it said.

The article appeared on a day when China announced the dates of Premier Li Keqiang’s maiden visit to India from May

19 to 21.

About the recent “tent confrontation” in Ladkah area where Chinese troops set up tens,it said: “from an Indian perception,the Chinese army has invaded Indian territory,and

this time is the most serious invasion in the past 25 years”.

“Some Indian media outlets claim China has invaded Indian

territory 600 times in the past three years,” it said.

The Sino-Indian border issue is very complicated,and even resulted in war in 1962. That conflict became the excuse

for India to bolster the military and develop nuclear weapons.

The root reason for so many “incursions” is that the two sides

have not reached a consensus on the Line of Actual Control,

let alone a formal border,it said.

However,since 1993,China and India have signed two agreements and one protocol on the maintenance of peace and tranquillity. These efforts have helped ensure durable peace and stability in the region.

“There is a very small possibility that China and India will fall into serious conflict,” it said.

Nevertheless,bilateral relations between China and India are very delicate. As well as the boundary problem,China-

Pakistan relations,the Dalai Lama issue,and tension over

water resources also hinder the promotion of China-India ties.

These problems mean India has a deep-seated distrust of China,the article said. With the US “rebalancing” toward the

Asia-Pacific,the Sino-Indian relationship is seeing subtle

changes these days,it said.

So far,India has strengthened its “Look East” policy. It has enhanced strategic and security cooperation with countries

such as Japan,South Korea,Malaysia and Vietnam,and has

taken a high-profile in the South China Sea disputes,it said.

In December 2011,the first trilateral dialogue between the US,Japan and India was presided over by the US,and one

of the topics discussed was China’s growing military and

political global position. It’s no wonder many think that

India may abandon strategic autonomy in order to ally with the

US and contain China,it added.