Cina e India a rischio guerra in Arunachal Pradesh

Si tratta di una regione contesa, posta a sud del Tibet. L'India e la Cina sono necessariamente condannate alla competizione, nel Far East, e il Giappone (con l'Indonesia) può giocare un ruolo di equilibrio. Al momento, anzi finora, i due paesi sono stati concentrati nella crescita delle loro economie.

China has renewed its claim over a swath of land called Arunachal Pradesh in China's southern Tibet region, prompting India to move troops and deploy its SU-30 fighter aircraft to the disputed border.

For China, India's advancement of its military along the border is part and parcel of a strategic plan it calls India's Look East policy, which apparently aims to extend influence in areas China regards as within its sphere. In particular, China is concerned about India's outreach in the Western Pacific to the Malacca straits in cooperation with Japan. The Chinese regard India's new initiative since the June 9 re-election of India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a hardening of its "uncompromising stand on important questions relating to national security and interests." At the same time, China sees India bolstered in its efforts due to Japan's alliance with the U.S. and India's strengthening of military relations with a number of Beijing's neighbors. From Beijing's perspective, such an effort is designed to "contain" China.

An official Chinese military paper, "China Strategy," which represents the views of the Chinese government, states that India believes its power has already exceeded China's. New Delhi perceives that the international situation has benefited it due to its support from the U.S. and Europe in pressuring Pakistan and in turn in "restricting" China's military.

For that reason, India is attempting to change the Sino-Indian border status quo while accusing Chinese troops of carrying out incursions into the border area.

China has seen India dispatch to Arunachal Pradesh near China's southern Tibet two additional divisions of more than 6,000 troops and two squadrons of SU-30 MK1 fighter aircraft, for a total of some 36 aircraft. To observers, this preoccupation makes the "China factor" more critical in overall Indian strategic thinking.

In response, the Chinese believe the Indians are no match for their troops, especially at the higher altitudes of the Tibetan plateau where the border dispute is simmering.

"India will not be in a position to conduct any border clash or any small or middle-scale war in the border," a Chinese military specialist said.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army, or PLA, has deployed some 13 border defense regiments in eastern and western sectors of the Sino-Indian border, the 52nd Mountain Infantry Brigade to protect the southern Qinghai-Tibet region, the 53rd Mountain Infantry Brigade to protect the high plateau in the western sector, the 149th Division of the 13th Group Army in the eastern sector and the 61st Division of the 21st Group Army in the western sector.
Fonte: World net daily.