Despite the Government’s façade of confidence in solving the 11-day-old stand-off in ladakh, China’s tough posture on the issue is unnerving New Delhi — one that could even lead to External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid calling off his visit to Beijing on May 9. And this, in turn, could cast a shadow on India hosting the new Premier li Keqiang’s on May 20.
Incidentally, Keqiang has planned to make New Delhi his first stop to improve bilateral ties during his maiden foreign tour after taking over.
Khurshid has expressed hope this matter will be resolved before his visit to China, and Prime Manmohan Singh on Saturday termed it a “localised issue” for which he said the Government has a plan to resolve. He said India did not want to accentuate the situation.
But the Government is wary of the political fallout in case the Chinese continue to stay put in Indian territory by the time Khurshid flies to Beijing to prepare the groundwork for rolling out the red-carpet for Keqiang. More so, when the Parliament Session is on, where the ruling regime is already on the defensive over the JPC draft report on 2G scam and Coalgate, and when an early election is not being ruled out.
Government sources said the Government is now
weighing the pros and cons of sending Khurshid to Beijing
to honour international
commitment and calling off the visit to send a strong signal
to Beijing besides save its face in Parliament.
Such a move, sources said, will also take the sting out of Opposition's attack in the ongoing Session.
Khurshid has defended the Government against the charge of pusillanimity in dealing with China saying India is no "pushover". "The place happens to be where we do not want them to be. That is established," he said even as he warned that the cost of things going out of hand would be very high for both the countries.
The Chinese have set up base 19 km inside Depsang Valley in ladakh and the security establishment is trying to figure out the motive behind the incursion. It feels that either China wants to gain strategic depth by setting up post in Depsang Valley or deny India the strategic advantage of overlooking the Karakoram Highway. The Highway is about 100 km from the face-off position.
The other possibility is that China wants to lay claim to the disputed area by coming in and setting up posts, officials said adding the Depsang Valley is of strategic importance for India.
The Government is hoping the Joint Mechanism on Border Affairs between the two countries would be able to resolve the issue. China has denied the incursion saying that its troops have not crossed the line of Actual Control (lAC).
The state media in China is apprehensive that the lAC tension may cast a shadow on the visit of Premier li and that the summoning of the Chinese Ambassador here was uncalled for.