Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Xi to meet Modi under tense circumstances

Xi to meet Modi under tense circumstances

The informal summit that was meant to reduce tensions will now have to deal with Kashmir and Huwaei

A week before China’s President Xi Jingping’s scheduled visit to India, the Indian embassy in Beijing was frantically trying to confirm whether he was still planning to come. The uncertainty in India’s diplomatic circles ended after a Chinese envoy in New Delhi, Sun Weidong, tweeted that both countries should build new models to achieve peace. The tweets sent up a collective sigh of relief in New Delhi and Beijing as Xi’s visit was finally confirmed.

The plan for an “informal summit” was formalized in June this year when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Xi on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in Bikshek, Kyrgyzstan. The upcoming “informal summit” was supposed to be a follow up of a similar bilateral meet between the two Asian leaders in Wuhan, China, in April 2018.

But South Asia has undergone significant changes since the meeting between Xi and Modi in June this year, and clearly, the strains have begun to show.


The Kashmir & Doklam conundrum


Xi and Modi are scheduled to meet in the small town of Mamallapuram, about 50 km from the city of Chennai in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The three-day summit was supposed to take forward a process that began two years ago, and boasted of a new found chemistry between the two leaders.

But the first sign of trouble emerged last week, when the Chinese side suddenly went quiet over the visit. Indian diplomats pointed to an ongoing Indian military exercise called “Him Vijay” (Victory in the Himalayas) in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. The state witnessed a temporary occupation by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) during the border war between India and China in October 1962. Chinese forces overwhelmed the poorly equipped Indian Army and swept through Arunachal in a matter of days. While the PLA unilaterally withdrew from the state a few months later, it never gave up its claim. China considers the area known as Tawang as a part of “lower Tibet” and therefore, Chinese territory.

Indian troops were practicing insertion methods into China as part of the military exercise that led to tense moments ahead of Xi’s visit.

But Indian diplomats were also aware that the Chinese could also call off the visit since India had abrogated Article 370 in the disputed state of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5. The eastern parts of the state known as “Aksai Chin” were also occupied by the PLA in the 1962 war. This area continues to be under China’s control. Any change in status, the Chinese say, will disturb the regional balance and claims they make over the region. The change in Kashmir’s status has also renewed hostilities between India and Pakistan. China views Pakistan as an “all-weather” ally and believes any tension between India and Pakistan in the region can upset their plans for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“Wuhan was an important summit in April 2018,” a senior Indian diplomat said. “We used that as an opportunity to resolve differences that had cropped up over the standoff between Indian, Bhutanese and Chinese troops in the Doklam plateau. But recent developments have eroded what was achieved in Wuhan,” the diplomat said.

In mid-June 2017, Indian forces were rushed to “aid” Royal Bhutanese troops who were trying to prevent the PLA from building a road across the Doklam plateau into Bhutan. The disputed area is of little value to Bhutan but has immense strategic value for India. It overlooks a territory known as the “Siliguri corridor” that connects India’s northeast to the mainland. If China gains control of the Doklam area, it will be able to dominate the Siliguri corridor and threaten a major Indian point of vulnerability.

Recent reports out of Thimpu indicate that Bhutan is close to establishing a final settlement in Doklam with China. If this is true, it will have major implications for India. For nearly 30 years, India has “leaned” on Bhutan to delay a final settlement in the Doklam region while it was addressing its border issues with China.

The Wuhan “informal summit” managed to reduce tensions between India and China. But the abrogation of Article 370 that gave Kashmir a special status and autonomy has led to a recent chill between New Delhi and Beijing. The 22nd round of talks between India and China’s special representatives to resolve the border dispute was scheduled for September but is yet to be held. The last time the two special representatives held their annual bilateral discussions was in November last year.


The Huwaei wrangle


Meanwhile, India has also been hedging on a final decision on Chinese telecom major Huwaei’s bid to participate in 5G trials. India is keen to embrace 5G and Huwaei is far ahead of its European competitors in terms of cost and technology. China has warned that if India does not allow Huwaei to participate, it will have major consequences on bilateral trade and can hurt Indian interests significantly.

Indian diplomatic sources confirmed that President Xi will be raising the issue of Huwaei’s participation in the 5G trials with Prime Minister Modi. “The Chinese president places it very high on the agenda and we are aware of their concerns,” the Indian diplomat said.

India has been worried that allowing Huwaei to participate in a strategic sector can have major security implications in the future. While Huwaei has issued several assurances that there will not be any “back doors” if they are allowed to set up a network in India, the company’s challenges in the US and many European markets have belied their claim. The US is keen to prevent Huwaei from setting up networks in other countries, citing them as a security threat.

However, if India takes a decision to allow Huwaei in the upcoming 5G trials, it will be a major win for President Xi. The final decision on this rests with the Indian prime minister’s office due to the strategic implications of the decision.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Budapest Central European Fashion Week Kicks Off
U.S. Celebrates Labor Day
Hungarian National Team Captain Scores Epic Goal
×