New Delhi: India and China are heading for another diplomatic face-off over US envoy Richard Verma’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh last weekend to attend the Tawang Festival there.
After China blasted the US for the visit and warned it not to “interfere” in the boundary dispute with India, New Delhi defended the US envoy’s visit, saying there was “nothing unusual in it” as Arunachal is an integral part of India. China regards Arunachal as part of China and refers to it as “south Tibet”, while India always rejected this view.
India has always rejected this view even as Beijing has often protested even against visits by top Indian Government leaders to Arunachal. Sources said the US envoy visited Arunachal after obtaining the requisite diplomatic clearances from New Delhi.
Even though China has not yet criticised India openly on allowing the visit, the criticism against the US is being seen as a signal of displeasure by Beijing to New Delhi especially since Beijing has warned about the threat of disturbance to peace on the borders by such visits.
Speculation is rife that the move could also be New Delhi’s way of sending a signal to Beijing in turn on the growing Indo-US friendship in the wake of China backing Pakistan and working against Indian interests on the NSG and Masood issues. China is already nervous about the US naval “re-balance” in the Asian Pacific region.
