Hours before the arrival of Indian Defense Minister AK Antony for high-level talks in Beijing, a hawkish Chinese General Thursday warned the Indian government against provoking "new trouble" by increasing military deployment in the Himalayan borders of the two countries.
Referring to the Indian army's proposal worth $134419.50 (Rs 81,000 00) to increase military deployment that was cleared by the New Delhi government last month, the Vice President and Secretary General of China Strategy Culture Promotion Association Major General Luo Yuan said, "The Indian side should not provoke new problems and increase the military deployment at the border areas and start new trouble."
"India is the only country in the world that says that it is developing its military power because of China's military threat," said the Chinese general "So I believe that India should be very cautious in what it does and what it says."
The comment came as a blow to India as the defense minister was on his way for a four-day-trip to Beijing to discuss military and security issues with his Chinese counterpart, State Councilor and Minister of National Defense, General Chang Wanquan.
"There is no denying that there are tensions and problems between China and India particularly at the border areas," Major General Luo Yuan told foreign news correspondents in Beijing.
"There is still problem of 90,000 sq km of territory still occupied by the Indian side. These are the problems left over from history and we should look at it with a cool head," added General Luo.
China calls a large area at the borders as disputed including the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing refers to as Southern Tibet. People from these areas don't need an official visa to visit China, according to the Beijing government.
However, notwithstanding the disputed 4,000 Kilometer along the line of Actual Control, India rightfully claims that Arunachal Pradesh is a part and parcel of India.
Even before China's occupation of Tibet in 1959, the border didn't have a clear-cut-line, however, India adheres to the Mac Mohan Line as the official border. It was agreed upon and signed in 1914 by Tibet and British India, although China disputes it.
Recently the two sides have exchanged severe warnings following reports of Chinese military incursions into the Indian border in Ladakh.
The two sides held their latest boundary talks on June 28.
