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Asian Angle | Why India is anxious about the role China could play in its upcoming elections
- Pro-Beijing sentiment appears to be on the rise among some discontented border communities in India’s northeast
- This combined with the potential for political upheaval in the polls has prompted New Delhi to go on a charm offensive
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China’s protests over a visit on Saturday by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as part of its own territory, raised hackles in a New Delhi that is busily preparing for a fast approaching election.
The Chinese government “is firmly opposed” to such prime ministerial visits, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement, adding that Beijing has “never recognised the so-called Arunachal Pradesh” - an area it refers to as South Tibet.
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India’s foreign ministry was quick to respond with its own statement, referring to the state as “an integral and inalienable part of India” that the nation’s leaders visit “from time to time” as they might do with any other part of the country.
“This consistent position has been conveyed to the Chinese side on several occasions,” it said.
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New Delhi’s speedy retort was hardly unexpected, though it does hint at the Indian government’s underlying sensitivities over a long-running boundary question that Beijing has refused to let lie.
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