Ahead of President Xi Jinping's India visit, China violates LAC

According to these reports, an Indian patrol at Chumar saw scores of Chinese People’s Liberation Army troops with heavy vehicles, including cranes and bulldozers, trying to construct a road in Indian territory, to which the Indian patrol objected.

The MEA indicated that the boundary issue would be discussed in talks between President Xi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The incident at Demchok could be the first of the Chinese using civilians to push territorial claims.

However, the top leadership of the two countries will display bonhomie when the Mr Xi starts his visit from Gujarat, with the MEA saying Prime Minister Modi is keen to showcase India beyond Delhi to visiting dignitaries.

In a “special gesture”, Prime Minister Modi will receive Mr Xi in Ahmedabad. Congress president Sonia Gandhi will also meet him in Delhi during his visit. Mr Modi said on Monday that Mr Xi’s visit would strengthen ties between India and China, which share a strong bond of Buddhism.

But Beijing showed no signs of relenting on its territorial claims.

On Monday, Leh deputy commissioner Simrandeep Singh was quoted as saying, “This is true that for the last one week China is objecting and protesting against the work on an irrigation project in Demchok village, which is close to the LAC” Mr Simrandeep Singh also said Chinese civilians from a village across the LAC called “Toshigang” were brought in government vehicles in large numbers to prevent locals from working on the project.

Asked to comment, MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said the “brave sentinels” on the border will address any issue that happens on the border. Whatever happens there, they will handle it, he said. The government tried to downplay the reports of Chinese transgressions, with the MEA saying the reports were “not being corroborated” by senior government officials.

A brigadier-level flag meeting between the two Armies was reportedly held in Chushul earlier on Monday where the issues of incursions and face-offs are learnt to have been raised by the Indian side.

“As regards issues on the table, sure, there are unresolved issues, including the boundary question... Yes, it will be discussed,” Mr Akbaruddin said. Asked about expectations from the high-profile visit, he said, “The key expectation is that we address issues of interests and concerns to each other. The path towards solution is based on a beginning of addressing those issues.” About the agenda of the meeting between Mr Modi and President Xi, he said, “All substantive issues of interest to India and China will be discussed.”

Asked whether Kashmir, Tibet and the stapled visa issue would figure in the talks, the MEA spokesperson said the two countries know each other’s “sensitivities” and it was the intention of both to try and work out issues accordingly. On the issuance of stapled visas to people of Arunachal by China, he said India’s stand has been that no differentiation should be made to people from any part of India.Apart from big announcements in the economic sector, including big Chinese investments in railway networks, industrial parks and smart-city projects, President Xi and Prime Minister Modi are expected to discuss cooperation in nuclear energy, the trade deficit and the visa regime.

The leaders will interact in Ahmedabad on September 17 and then in New Delhi on September 18 in both a restricted and delegation-level format. This will also be the first time that the leaders of the two countries will sign agreements outside Delhi, with some agreements between the two countries expected to be inked in Ahmedabad.

Mr Akbaruddin said it will be only the third occasion since Independence that an Indian Prime Minister will have elaborate talks with a Chinese President in India. The previous occasions were in 1996 and 2006, during the visits of the then Chinese Presidents Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, respectively.

Prime Minister Modi will welcome President Xi who will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including two senior members of the Politburo and the Chinese commerce minister at his hotel in Ahmedabad. The leaders will witness signing of pacts in Ahmedabad before heading to the famous Sabarmati Ashram and a private dinner after that which will be hosted by Mr Modi.

“On 17th, I look forward to welcoming President Xi Jinping in Ahmedabad. Am sure his visit will strengthen India-China ties,” the Prime Minister tweeted. Ahead of Mr Xi’s visit, Mr Modi posted various slides depicting Gujarat’s rich Buddhist heritage, including his birthplace Vadnagar’s excavations, on Twitter.

“Ashokan Edict in Junagadh shows “Samrat” (Emperor) Ashok’s reverence towards Buddhism and focuses on social and moral precepts,” said one tweet while the other one read, “The place where I was born, Vadnagar too has a rich Buddhist influence including a Monastery (sic).” He also noted that well-known Chinese traveller Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) noted the presence of Buddhist monasteries and monks in parts of Gujarat. Mr Modi will host a private dinner for Mr Xi on the Sabarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad when he begins his India visit.

Mr Xi is expected to announce investments of billions of dollars in India’s railway, manufacturing and infrastructure projects. With growing outbound direct investment (ODI) which last year crossed $90 billion, China’s investments in India, which so far remained a paltry $400 million, mostly in Gujarat, are now expected to surpass Japan’s.

Asked whether the two leaders will discuss cooperation in nuclear energy, Mr Akbaruddin said both countries are committed to peaceful use of nuclear energy and it was normal if they talk about possible cooperation in the area. “Both India and China are members of IAEA’s board of governors and this gives them a status of understanding the importance of nuclear energy, on how to use it,” he said.

He said President Xi is arriving at Ahmedabad as the PM was extremely keen that India be showcased beyond Delhi. “He has made this amply clear, that when the visitors come to India they also see the beauty and magnificence of our country beyond Delhi,” the MEA spokesperson said.

After Ahmedabad, the Chinese President will reach Delhi in the evening of September 17 itself. Most of the agreements will be inked on September 18 in New Delhi. On that day, President Xi will meet President Pranab Mukherjee who will also host a banquet for the Chinese leader.

Vice-president Hamid Ansari, eternal affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and Congress pesident Sonia Gandhi will also call on President Xi.

China is positively considering investing in India’s ambitious plan to build high-speed railways, including bullet trains. According to news agency reports, Chinese officials have said China would be committing anywhere between $100 billion to $300 billion to the modernisation of India’s railways by replacing existing tracks to increase the speed, to station development and to establishing industrial parks as well as investing in mega infrastructure projects.

The improvement of tracks could push average train speeds from 160 kmph to 180 kmph, Indian officials say. China is also reportedly asking India to hand over certain railway corridors for it to build, develop and maintain high-speed railway lines.