Stapled visas a step forward! Do you have a lighter? security guard stopped me asking as I entered Chinese National Museum of History. But he was not looking to fire up cigarette; instead, this was a routine check by one of Chinas ever vigilant public security officials to prevent yet another Tibetan (though I do not look like one) from self-immolating in protest against Chinese rule. Continuing symbolic challenge to Chinese rule by Tibetan monks and youth explains how, five decades after falling under Beijings control, Tibet still remains one of the countrys most neuralgic points. India, as host of the Dalai Lama and the supposed occupant of Arunachal Pradesh (or Southern Tibet, as China calls it), thus holds an important position in Chinas security equation. Not surprisingly, issues relating to Tibet have proved the most intractable in the agreements between India and China this week. Analysts will continue to debate whether the agreements are a success for Indian diplomacy or simply a craven concession. The fact remains that the 1954 agreement, in which the idealist Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru unilaterally acknowledged Chinas unchallenged control over greater Tibetan region, tilted the Himalayan balance that generations of Indian diplomats have since tried to rectify with only limited success. Chinas phenomenal economic growth and rising military clout have enabled it to strengthen the sinews of its control over the entire region, leaving India trying catch-up. Fact that the universally popular Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in Exile are located in India, and Indias continued recognition of Chinese rule in Tibet provide India a subtle leverage. A leverage that the South Block has used with limited success. Although it is inconceivable that India would reverse its recognition of Chinese sovereignty over Tibet, even the mere hint of a review gives New Delhi some bargaining power. Indeed, Chinas de facto acceptance of Sikkim as Indian territory in 2003 was achieved by the threat of re-raising questions over the status of Tibet. There have been other, more recent, examples as well. In May 2007, China declined to issue a visa to an IAS officer from Arunachal Pradesh, treating him instead as a Chinese citizen from southern Tibet who did not require a visa. New Delhi let it be known that if China wanted to reopen the Tibet issue, India could too. A statement by the Indian government pointedly omitted the habitual mention of Tibet as an integral part of China in a subtle reminder that things could change. When China subsequently granted stapled visas to residents of J&K, Indian diplomats again reminded China that J&K is as sensitive an issue for India as Tibet is for China. Unwilling to reopen questions over the status of Tibet, China quietly dropped the stapled visa policy for J&K residents. Recent Chinese move of issuing stapled visas to two Indian archers from Arunachal Pradesh and unwillingness to change that policy has angered India, which has resisted Beijings push this week for a liberal visa policy for Chinese nationals. It is still noteworthy that by switching from no visa for Arunachal Pradesh residents earlier to stapled visa now China has acknowledged its status as a disputed area. In 2006, shortly before then Chinese President Hu Jintaos state visit to India, then Chinese ambassador to India Sun Yuxi declared to the press: In our position, the whole of the state of Arunachal Pradesh is Chinese territory. The stapled visas for Arunachal are thus a small gain. Diplomatic jousting with China over territory, however, can only work if it is backed by a strong economy, credible military and diplomatic strength. Chinas willingness to compromise over the border is directly related to its concerns over Indias close military ties with US. For China, threat to its control over its soft Tibetan underbelly is most acute when Delhi joins hands with Washington. While Beijing will make concessions to woo India away from the US, any sign of drift in Indo-US relations would embolden China to press its territorial claims. Mindful of this linkage, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reminded China that the relationships pursued by India and China with other countries must not become source of concern for each other. Latest agreements again show that for China, domination of Tibet is non-negotiable and it views its own security as directly related to Indias ties with the US.
Posted on: Sat, 26 Oct 2013 02:26:29 +0000
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