The Dalai Lama's proximity to the Chinese border will anger the Communist dictators in Beijing, who despise the Tibetan spiritual leader who retains his influence in his homeland 64 years after he fled Tibet.
After the Ladakh fiasco where Xi Jinping did not expect the Indian Army to resist his land-grabbing tactics, he has to save face before his colleagues in the Communist party.' To bring the threat of a mega-dam to the northern Indian border is a clever move, observes Claude Arpi.
China plans to divert about 200 billion cubic metres of water annually from the Brahmaputra at its highest point, namely the Great Bend, where it turns into India. China's Brahmaputra dam will severely impact India, warns former senior RA&W officer and China expert Jayadeva Ranade.
Situated at a height of 15,200 feet above sea level, the pass sits on the top of a craggily formed Himalayan range that separates the Tibetan plateau from the Indian sub-continent.
What could be the reason for the Chinese to all of a sudden churn up the placid waters? Perhaps the reading on the banner is: no hobnobbing with ASEAN countries. But upping the ante along the borders has its own demerits for the Chinese. It serves to push India closer to the US thus strengthening the latter's Asian pivot, says Brigadier (retd) S K Chatterji.
According to the 'Military and Security Developments involving the People's Republic of China' report 2023: "Since early May 2020, sustained tensions along the India-China border have dominated the Western Theater Command's attention."
British writer and historian Patrick French has died in London after battling cancer for four years, his family announced on Thursday.
Xi arrived at the Nyingchi Mainling Airport on Wednesday and was warmly welcomed by local people and officials of various ethnic groups, Xinhua news agency reported.
...with extravagant claims in both the eastern and western sectors, observes Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad, as India is fixated on asserting its border claims based on the McMahon Line.
'In the short term the relationship will get worse.'
The Indian position on the Russia-Ukraine war and the unconditional treaty between China and Russia appear to have caused some ripples in India-US relations and led to a reappraisal of India's usefulness to the US in the eventuality of a conflict with China, notes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
Washington is signalling to Delhi that it can rely on American support in any great game vis-a-vis China. Delhi shouldn't fall into the trap, argues Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Henry Kissinger once said, 'It may be dangerous to be America's enemy, but to be America's friend is fatal.' India will have to wait and see, observes Rajeev Srinivasan.
Throughout its standoff with India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Chinese officials sought to downplay the severity of the crisis, emphasising Beijing's intent to preserve border stability and prevent the standoff from harming other areas of its bilateral relationship with India, the Pentagon said in a report on Tuesday.
China claims the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet, which is firmly rejected by India.
The question and her reply did not figure in the official transcript of the media briefing posted on the Chinese foreign ministry website hours later.
'Three decades of intensive discussions, protocols and Confidence Building Measures were jettisoned one fine morning in 2020.' 'The primary lesson that has been learnt is that that there is no reliability about the Chinese.'
The naming of the places in memory of the soldiers comes days after Chinese military commander Qi Fabao, who was injured in the Galwan Valley clash with Indian troops in June, 2020, attended the ruling Communist Party of China's (CPC) Congress as a delegate.
The former Army Chief said India's relations with China will always remain "somewhat tense".
The Chinese embassy, in a letter to some of the members of the All-Party Indian Parliamentary Forum for Tibet, expressed concern over their attendance at the event and asked them to refrain from providing support to Tibetan forces.
'Tibetans don't have jobs, and the military provides a job offer.' 'But the issue is whether China really trusts Tibetans.'
Blindfolding himself with a piece of black cloth that had a slogan 'wake up UN' written on it, Tibetan activist Sherab Tsedor on Tuesday appealed to world leaders, especially the United Nations, to wake up to the plight of Tibetans at the hands of People's Republic of China.
This is not for the first time that the Dalai Lama is visiting a border region as he had visited Ladakh as well Arunachal Pradesh several times in the past, the functionary said.
Military officials said India is also strengthening its surveillance mechanism to keep an eye on Chinese activities along the borders in the strategically sensitive Tibetan region and has even been regularly deploying choppers to carry out recce.
India's reaction came in response to Beijing announcing Chinese names for 15 more places in Arunachal Pradesh which the neighbouring country claims as South Tibet.
Important for India was Xi's meeting with representatives of PLA officers and soldiers stationed in Tibet. The video of the encounter was interesting to watch, especially the large number of lieutenant generals and major generals, observes Claude Arpi.
'This was Indian land the PLA advanced on and occupied.' 'The Chinese then 'negotiated' a pullback of their troops a small distance on Indian territory even as Indian jawans draw back further into India from the forward position.' 'An apparently satisfied Indian government says this is a great move for peace! How great is that for China!'
The Lipulekh pass is a far western point near Kalapani, a disputed border area between Nepal and India.
The Dalai Lama is 84 years old now and the issue of his successor has gained prominence in the last couple of years in the wake of his health issues.
Tibetan refugees in India face a bleak future, says Greg C Bruno.
'On the LAC, China can undertake military action at any place with much fewer resources. It can do 'salami slicing'.'
India on Thursday strongly rejected China renaming 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh and asserted that the state has 'always been' and will 'always be' an integral part of India and that assigning 'invented' names does not alter this fact.
China on Friday said that any successor to the present Dalai Lama should be approved by it, ruling out recognition to any heir nominated by him or by his followers.
Claude Arpi's fascinating account of the Dalai Lama's arrival in Tawang in March 1959.
China said it hoped India would abide by its commitment of not letting Tibetans to engage in anti-China activities and "prudently handle" the issue so as not to "disrupt" the overall bilateral ties. Commenting for the first time on the recent meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Dalai Lama, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson told PTI.
The MEA said that the Chinese side has conveyed to India on several occasions that it was only undertaking run-of-the-river hydropower projects, which do not involve diversion of the waters of the Brahmaputra.
16 Indian Army divisions face China, 20 face Pakistan and two divisions are reserves. This powerful signal can hardly be missed in China or Pakistan, notes Ajai Shukla.
Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation president Susanna B Afan and foundation trustee Emily A Abrera met with the Dalai Lama, the Nobel Peace laureate, to personally present the 1959 Ramon Magsaysay Award after 64 years.
'The real issue between India and China is that the Chinese have transgressed along the Line of Actual Control at multiple points.'
The three wushu fighters from Arunachal Pradesh were issued stapled visas instead of stamped ones, India's foreign ministry said.
