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| China violates spirit of Panchsheel despite swearing by it | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, July 1: China has a peculiar way of celebrating the 60-year old Panchsheel (peaceful coexistence). And it can be done only by China. Two events need to be cited in support of peculiar ways of Beijing engaged in celebrating peaceful coexistence. One is the release of a map in which Arunachal Pradesh has been shown part of China.
That China has been eyeing Arunachal Pradesh is an old story, as old as 52 years but the way the map was circulated during the celebrations related to 60-year long panchsheel sounds intriguing. More intriguing is the way the map was released when India's Vice-president, M. Hamid Ansari was in Beijing in connection with the celebrations. The second incident related to another bid by the Chinese troops to sneak into the Indian territory in Ladakh.
Reports said that the Chinese troops have made several attempts to enter Indian waters at Pangong Lake, nestled in the higher reaches of Ladakh, with the latest incident reported on Friday. Reports said the Army had a face-off in the lake with the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on June 27 when they tried to enter into the Indian waters. This incident also took place at time when the establishment in Beijing had been engaged in voicing support to the Panchsheel political philosophy.
While addressing the function held to celebrate Panchsheel Chinese President Xi Jinping called on countries to uphold common security, saying that flexing of military muscles only reveals the lack of moral ground or vision rather than reflecting one's strength. India and China had signed the Panchsheel agreement in 1954. The five principles enshrined therein include mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence. Apart from the series of incursion bids in Ladakh and elsewhere the controversy over the releasing of the map showing Indian state, Arunachal Pradesh, as part of China indicate that Beijing has been violating the basic principles of Panchsheel.
Do these incidents display Beijing's respect for India's sovereignty and territorial integrity as is laid down in the Panchsheel? Certainly not. These incidents simply support views of those who hold China responsible for nursing extra-territorial ambitions. What is strange is the way Beijing has been voicing support for settling the border issue with New Delhi through negotiations and through the process of dialogue. While doing so the Chinese troops make things difficult for India.
What is surprising is Beijing's ignorance about the threat from terrorists, especially those terrorists who have their support base in Pakistan and occupied Kashmir. This way China needs to cooperate with India on the need for eliminating the menace of terror. In fact both China and India face the threat from terrorists who have been enjoying the support base in Pakistan.
China has initiated measures for containing the activities of terrorists in Xinjiang province where the judiciary has stepped in for awarding punishment to these terrorists. Chinese courts in the far west, ethnic region of Xinjiang have imprisoned 113 people for terrorism or other charges. The region, home to Muslim minority Uighurs, has seen a rise in violence in recent months.
Most recently, a May 22 attack in a vegetable market in the regional capital of Urumqi left 43 dead, including four suspected attackers, prompting Beijing to announce a year-long operation to crack down on what it calls terrorism in the region. In the wake of these developments Beijing will be placed in an uncomfortable situation if on one hand it continues to face threat from Pakistan supported terrorists and on the other it takes pleasure in needling India on its border.
It is time Beijing and New Delhi promote cordial ties and keep the border row in the cold store. It is time for promoting trade and trave between the two sides and not the time for carrying out incursions and intrusions. |
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