Courcy’s Intelligence Brief

India-China border talks scheduled for 28-29 November were cancelled by China because of the hosting of an international Buddhist conference in New Delhi to be addressed by the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan leader.

The cancelled border talks will be rescheduled, however China’s move to cancel the talks is an indicator of the ever-present potential for deterioration in India-China relations.  China had tried to insist that India prevent the Dalai Lama attending the conference, but India refused.

On 28 November, India’s Defence Minister AK Antony faced questioning in parliament about border issues. Thirty-two members of the Indian parliament raised the question of China’s build up of infrastructure in border regions.  Antony said: “Required measures are being undertaken to upgrade our capabilities to achieve the desired defence preparedness to safeguard sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of India.”  He also said that India was constructing strategic infrastructure “in the north-eastern region in areas close to the international border with China”.

On 23 November, India’s Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai told a conference at the National Defence College that India’s security interests extended from East Africa to the South China Sea and it would continue with exploration plans in the South China Sea despite Chinese objections.  He said: “India and China, as two large, growing economies with overlapping areas of interests are bound to cooperate and compete simultaneously.”