China-India border disputes turn sour

• Source: Global Times
• [09:41 October 16 2009]
• Comments

Fu Xiaoqiang, an expert on South Asian issues at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said there has been long-standing mistrust between the two neighbors, but he said China had no intension of containing India's development.

"China and India inevitably have overlapping and even conflicting interests," Fu said.

He conceded that the possibility of military conflicts, provoked by uncontrollable sentiment, could not be ruled out if the border issue is left unresolved and the Indian military keeps strengthening its armament out of security concerns with China.

"Neither side could benefit from conflict," Fu said.

Wang Dehua, at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said the reaction by the Indian government was its response to China's protest over the Indian leader's visit to the controversial region.

"China and India should avoid malicious contest and cooperate to win for the same goal," Wang said. "Western countries would be happy to see conflict erupt between China and India, because they can sell their weapons to both countries for commercial benefits."

The Indian media also expressed similar sentiments on avoiding conflict.

"Negative vibes between India and China are growing. It would be calamitous if this leads to greater military spending," an opinion piece carried in the Business Standard said.

"India must lie low in the short and medium term, build its strength and hope that conditions in both countries will be ripe for striking the deal that Deng Xiaoping offered in 1988 but which India had declined – accepting the status quo – the line of actual control - as the international border between the two countries," it said.

Kang Juan and An Baijie contributed to this story

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