A FUTURE CHINA STRATEGY FOR INDIA continues...

India’s third mistake was again to do with the McMahon Line:

India’s obstinate refusal to negotiate regarding it, which has already been

mentioned.

India’s fourth mistake with regard to the border was not to do with

the McMahon Line, but was Nehru’s decision in 1954 to unilaterally

choose the once-proposed Johnson-Ardagh Line as the Sino-Indian

boundary between the state of J&K and the PRC. The Government of

India’s own maps had been showing the boundary between J&K and

the PRC to be ‘undefined’. This was another of his decisions which

unnecessarily complicated what could have been a relatively easy

negotiation, if the suggested boundary had been the one officially

proposed by Britain to China, the Macartney-MacDonald Line.

CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES: SINO-INDIAN

MILITARY AND NAVAL COOPERATION

The best way of conquering an enemy

Is to win him over by not antagonising him.

(Lao Tzu, ‘Warring States’ period, ca. 480-221 B.C.E.)

Sino-Indian military cooperation should be strictly limited to

‘Confidence-Building Measures’ (CBM) along the disputed Himalayan

borders with China. Joint naval exercises with China are not a good

idea for India till major issues that are officially pending, such as the

boundary issue, are fully settled. Even if such naval exercises are

ostensibly to help create better inter-operability in joint Sino-Indian

maritime ‘policing’ of the straits connecting the Indian Ocean to the

South China Sea from piracy, and for joint protection of the

international sea-lanes through which much international trade passes.

China is likely to staff such “co-operating” vessels with officers who

understand either English or Hindi or both, though they will deal only

through one or two official interpreters, while Indian naval personnel,

other than the interpreter, are likely to understand no Mandarin. Thus

the Chinese will learn much more about the Indian Navy’s procedures,

vessels, strengths and weaknesses, and will stand to gain much more

than India will.

To be continued....