Round The World

Indian Airspace Violation

DECODING THE CHINESE INTENT

By Hina Pandey

School of International Studies, JNU

The recent reports of Chinese violations of the Indian airspace in Leh region in Jammu and Kashmir has become a daily norm in the Indian Media. It is now officially confirmed by military officials too that indeed the Chinese copters violated the country’s territory. It is interesting to note that few years ago during the same time, the Indo-China Joint Working Group met for the second time in New Delhi, to maintain and promote peace on the border. It resulted in taking up of measures such as prior notification of military exercise, prevention of air intrusions and redeployment of forces along the Line of Actual Control.

This process was continued further and followed by another meeting in 1993 in Beijing, which further sought greater transparency about the activities along the LAC. The same year, Prime Minister Late Narasimha Rao too visited China (6^thSeptember) and both sides pledged to “strictly respect and observe the LAC.  Again, 1995 saw one of the most significant agreements on border peace, wherein the two sides mutually agreed to withdraw from Sumdorong Chu Valley. It could only be a coincidence that “acts of breach” occurred almost the same time when “pledge to not to breach” had been taken.

According to a leading English daily, military officials also acknowledged that activities along the border are seen every year around August-September and hence need not to taken as “alarming signs”. However, this time the People’s Liberation Army has set a record of breaching the LAC approximately 26 times in the same month. Is the Indian Military acknowledging Chinese presence in the border region? If not, then why has border patrolling been intensified in recent days? What are Beijing’s intentions in blatantly violating the Indian airspace?

Similar signs occurred before the Indo-Sino war of 1962 and yet the Government wants to keep mum and is busy down-playing the issue by blaming it on the difference of perception on the LAC by both countries. Reports of such incursions are not new. In August last year too, the Chinese patrols entered Indian territory and made as many as 223 attempts to violate it. However, this time the tension seems to be building up along the border.

The graph of the Sino-Indian relationship has from time to time always oscillated from “being potential friends” to “being potential enemies.” Beijing has always maintained its record of following a slightly aggressive foreign and domestic policy as compared to New Delhi, and is never ashamed to makes use of its might to resolve political issues, be it border disputes with India, Taiwan Straight, Tibet or curbing of human rights in Tiananmen Square and media rights in Tibet. The Chinese have vehemently reacted on many such issues which have played a role in deteriorating Indo-Sino relationship.

One such major issue is the assistance to Pakistan’s nuclear programme. This is not to suggest that the two countries have never come closer, In fact, both the countries experienced a phase of normalization in   relations since 1988. The process of improvement began with Prime Minister Late Rajiv Gandhi's visit to China which resulted in India’s recognition of Tibet as a region of China which enjoyed autonomy. New Delhi decided to push ahead with Beijing without waiting for a border settlement.

This momentum continued with several other high-profile visits, including that of former President R.Venkataraman, resulting in a significant acknowledgment by Beijing as well that the border problem wasn't a serious one and that both India and China must resolve it through peaceful means. Gradual exchanges and reciprocal visits by both countries’ officials brought the Sino-Indian relations closer in the fields of arts, science, technology, health, trade and others. Historically too, both the countries have existed as nations since a very long time and have expanded themselves to become the world’s massive storehouse of human resource.

Both embraced modern governance almost at the same time. China declared itself as People’s Republic of China on 1^st October 1949, whereas India became an independent nation on 15^th August 1947. However, despite the convergence of historical experience and cooperation in many sectors, there have remained certain unfilled possibilities due to which the two have never been able to maintain a sound foundation such that their association can be translated into a strong marriage.

It is the residual effect of those unresolved issues, combined with the obscure understanding that New Delhi has about Chinese behavior which makes it rather difficult to perceive Beijing’s intention in a good light. Besides, accessing Chinese intention and power incorrectly have always proved harmful in the past. This accentuates the importance to carefully decode recent Chinese air space violations. Also both the Governments have downplayed this issue and have maintained a diplomatic position.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu declined any such reports and said its border patrols are conducted strictly in accordance with the law. He reiterated that the two countries had arrived at a consensus about making efforts to safeguard peace and tranquility on the border, while the border issue is being negotiated. The Ministry of External affairs too, on September 7th maintained that this wasn't an issue at all and that India and China shared the most peaceful border. However, it has asked for the clarification from Beijing, and is awaiting its response.

It is interesting to note that reports of incursion coincided with the visit of spiritual leader Dalai Lama to Taiwan to comfort typhoon victims. This has evoked a reaction by the Chinese, who have suspended certain dealings with Taiwan. New Delhi too has received an upsetting reaction from Beijing regarding His Holiness’s forthcoming visit to Arunachal Pradesh. Are these reactions from the Chinese Government signaling towards something that New Delhi should become apprehensive of?

In International politics, power is defined as the ability of a State to advance and defend its interests. This capability gets highlighted even more when put to comparison with another State. Hence, power is defined as a State’s relative ability to another, which can be articulated through military, economic or cultural means. Given this backdrop, the recent Chinese violation of Indian airspace does raise many questions regarding the Chinese intentions.

Are these recent incursions symbolic with the power projections? Is this one of the Chinese ways to convey its hegemonic ambitions to New Delhi in the Asian continent, given that both India and China are the only two candidates having a potential of being a global power in the near future? Or, is it a means to challenge Indian regional hegemonic tendencies in South Asia? This unpredictable Chinese nature and carefree attitude of the Indian Government has created a labyrinth of questions for the strategic community to answer. ---INFA

(Copyright, India News and Feature Alliance)