India calls out China for 'militarisation' of Taiwan Strait

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 28

In line with its post-Galwan valley clash policy of calling a spade a spade in Sino-Indian affairs, India in its recent riposte to Chinese envoy to Sri Lanka has for the first time used the phrase “militarisation of the Taiwan Strait”.

Responding late on Saturday to an article by the Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong, the spokesman of the Indian High Commission in Colombo noted that the envoy drew a connection between “militarisation of Taiwan Straits and visit of China’s Yuan Wang 5 ship to Hambantota, Sri Lanka”.

This is in marked contrast to the MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi’s first and only comment on the Taiwan Straits crisis after the visit to Taipei by US Congress Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Nowhere in his comments on August 12 did he use the word militarisation — shorthand used by the West for China amassing warships and planes around Taiwan.

On China’s insistence — as it does with all countries — India mentioned the “One China’ commitment in official statements but dropped it in 2008 after China started a policy of issuing “stapled visas” to people from J&K and Arunachal Pradesh on grounds that they were temporary citizens of India. At the MEA briefing on August 12 too, India’s position on the “One China” commitment was unlike that of 170 countries whom China has persuaded after the Taiwan Strait tensions to directly state that they follow this policy.

Simmering tensions

The US navy sailed two warships through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday, in the first such transit publicised since US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan earlier in August, at a time when tensions have kept the waterway particularly busy. The USS Antietam and USS Chancellorsville are conducting a routine transit, the US 7th Fleet said. China said it was monitoring the movement of the ships. “Troops are on alert and ready to foil any provocation,” said a PLA officer. AP

Official contact with Dalai Lama post Galwan

• India has not been shy in making official contact with the Dalai Lama, which was not the case before the Galwan valley clash
• The Centre made available an Army chopper for the Dalai Lama to travel in Ladakh, where he stayed for a month before coming to Delhi on Friday
• While keeping “One China” commitment since 1949, India maintains trade ties with Taiwan

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