Good for the goose, good for the gander

Nyingtri Airport close to the McMahon Line

My article Good for the goose, good for the gander appeared in the Edit Page of The Pioneer today.

Here is the link...
 
Having undertaken a huge amount of infrastructure work along the border with India, China has no business to object to similar activity by New Delhi on the pretext it will complicate matters. Modi regime must remain firm

The Chinese are amazing. During his monthly press conference, Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun questioned India’s plan to build 54 border posts on its Arunachal frontier. He said: “We have taken notice of the reports. China and India have disputes over the eastern part of their border. We hope India will try to help maintain stability and peace, instead of taking moves that may further complicate the situation.”
Beijing is also unhappy about India’s plans to build a road on the southern side of the McMahon Line in Arunachal Pradesh. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei had earlier grumbled: “The boundary issue between China and India is left by the colonial past. Before a final settlement is reached, we hope that India will not take any actions that may further complicate the situation.” But who is complicating the situation? As the Chinese spokesmen whined, Beijing announced its plans to invest 278 million yuan ($45 million) for expanding the Mainling (Nyingtri) airport, just north of the McMahon line.
China Tibet Online says: “The abundant tourism resources and many famous scenic spots in the region attract more and more tourists to Nyingtri as their first stop for Tibet. In the first half year of 2014, Nyingtri totally received 836,200 tourists from home and aboard.” The project has a vital military angle as Bayi, the main Chinese garrison in Southern Tibet, is located close by.
That is not all.Xinhua announced that China has approved plans to build a 402km railway line linking Shigatse to Nyingtri, north of Arunachal Pradesh. The news agency provided details about the strategic new line along the Arunachal border. The Tibet project will cost 36.6 billion yuan (six billion dollars) and take seven years to complete. The state-owned China Railway Corporation will be the builder and operator. The line is designed for a speed of 160km per hour for passenger trains. The cargo capacity will be 10 million tonnes per year. Wang Daiyuan of the Tibet Academy of Social Sciences asserted that after completion, “the Sichuan-Tibet railway will form a ring with the Qinghai-Tibet railway, which will bring more economic benefit.” A ring around India’s frontiers?
Though the Chinese authorities only emphasise the development of tourism, the new railway line will be part of a strategic network linking Lhasa to the borders of India and Nepal. It will connect Lhasa and Shigatse with Kyirong (Nepal border), Yatung (Sikkim border) and Nyalam (near Dram, the landport with Nepal).
The next stage will probably be a railway line through the Aksai Chin linking Tibet (Lhasa) to Xinjiang (Kashgar and Urumchi). Though it has not been announced as yet, it is bound to happen soon. Will all this not complicate the border issue? China, which has already built an extremely good network of roads close to the Line of Actual Control on the Tibetan plateau, objects to India struggling on her side of the border, where the terrain is extremely difficult.
That is not to say that everything is rosy in the Middle Kingdom; Beijing has its own problems. On November 3, The Global Times quoted the Chinese President speaking at a military ‘political work’ conference. “The Communist Party of China has absolute control over the military, and called for serious reflection on the violations of discipline and law committed by former General Xu Caihou. The party commands the gun,” Mr Xi Jinping said. Xinhua reported that Mr Xi stressed the “the principle of the party leading the Army, which should always be firmly upheld.” Is there any doubt in the ranks?
The President, who is also the Chairman of the Central Military Commission, asserted that ideological and political development are the keys to safeguarding the CPC’s absolute command of the troops. Is the party afraid to lose control? The PLA Daily had prepared the groundwork for Mr Xi’s intervention by publishing a series of articles highlighting the importance of party-control over the military, while refuting Western arguments about ‘the nationalisation of a country’s military forces’ (in other words, a military which could take its orders from the Government and not the party).
During the conference, Mr Xi readily admitted that “there were serious problems in the Army’s ideological and political development.” He cited a few of the issues faced by the Army: Loss of faith in the party, in party principles not followed, revolutionary spirit missing, lack of discipline, improper ideology and work styles, lax management of officials or flaws in the military's supervision system. This list is quite disturbing for the Chinese leadership. The President spoke at length about General Xu Caihou, the former CMC Vice Chairman who has been expelled from the party and is being investigated for taking huge bribes and offering ‘promotions’ to senior Generals (many of them probably present at the Conference).
A few days earlier, Lt Gen Yang Jinshan, a Deputy Commander of the Chengdu Military Region (and former Commander of the Tibet Military District) lost his membership of the CCP’s Central Committee. It is a first in the history of the party that a senior serving General loses his job and his seat in the Central Committee.
Lt Gen Yang was one of 41 members of the PLA in the Central Committee, and as such was ‘senior’ in the party to his direct boss, Lt Gen Li Zuocheng, the Commander of Chengdu MR. Apparently, the arrest of General Yang is part of the wider inquiry into Xu Caihou. In the meantime, the CMC warned that ideological struggles within the PLA were “acute and complicated”, and appealed to the military to remain loyal to the party’s leadership.
The Global Times asserted: “Military reform has entered ‘uncharted waters’ with concerns growing that reform could be impeded by structural problems.” The CMC admitted that among the problems facing the Army, “the struggle over ideology has been exceptionally acute and complicated”.  A CMC communiqué says that “different ideologies and new ideas that have emerged in Chinese society have penetrated the military, and will have a disruptive impact.”
There is no doubt that India has been too shy. While New Delhi continues to insist on an Inner Line Permit (for Indian nationals) and a Protected Area Permit (for foreigners) visiting Arunachal, Beijing brings lakhs of tourists to its side of the line. It is certainly time for New Delhi to open up. Not only should it go ahead with the roads to the LAC, but the Government must allow tourists to visit these remote and stunningly beautiful areas of the Indian territory. In India, the grace remains that the democratic system protects the nation against more disruptive ‘ideological struggles’.

The Highway to the Indian Border

Lhasa-Nyingchi Highway in Taktse County near Lhasa

On June 5 , 2014, China Tibet Online reported the progress of the construction of the Lhasa-Nyingchi Highway.
Quoting tibetnews.com, the Chinese website said: "As a main trunk connecting a dozen of key highways in Tibet, Lhasa-Nyingchi [Nyingtri] Highway bears great significance in building a flexible traffic network covering China’s border provinces as well as upgrading China’s national defense capacity."
It is interesting that the 'defence capacity' is mentioned; this is usually not.
It is probably an answer to India's determination to built roads to the border areas in Arunachal Pradesh.
The reports continues: "On May 23, 2013, construction of the Lhasa-Nyingchi Highway started at Taktse County of Tibet. The construction budget totals 38 billion yuan [US $ 6 billion], and the highway is expected to cover 409.2 km, with the carrying capacity reaching 80 km/h via four lanes. Upon completion it will save at least 2 hours to travel from Lhasa to Nyingchi."
China National Highway 318 (known as G318) which runs from Shanghai to Zhangmu on the China-Nepal border, passes through Taktse County. G318 is the longest National Highway in China (5,476 kilometres).
From Lhasa to Zhangmu, it is known as the Friendship Highway; it connects China to 'friendly' Nepal (via the 115 km long Araniko Highway to Kathmandu).
I wonder if some sections of the Lhasa-Nyingchi Highway, will be suitable for fighter planes to land like on the Zhengzhou-Minquan Highway.
By the way, the Pentagon published yesterday its annual report on China's military power. There is a chart showing the comparison between China’s official defense budget and other regional powers: 

• 2013 Defense Budget Comparison (Adjusted for Inflation) in billion (USD)

• China (Official Budget) $ 119.5
• Russia (National Defense Budget) $ 69.5
• Japan $ 56.9
• India $ 39.2
• Republic of Korea $ 31.0
• Taiwan $ 10.8

The Defense Ministry in Beijing was furious; on its website, it stated that it is 'resolutely opposed' to the Pentagon report: "Year after year the United States issues this so-called report on 'Military and Security Developments in China,' making preposterous criticisms of China's normal defense and military building, exaggerating the 'China military threat', which is totally wrong."
The point is that the Lhasa-Nyingchi Highway will certainly not show in China's next defence budget.

Backgrounder: Difference between regular highway and highway runway for airplanes
China Military Online
May-27, 2014

Planes landing on the Zhengzhou-Minquan Highway.

BEIJING, May 27 (ChinaMil) Not any section of the highway is suitable for the aircraft to take off or land. It should have higher pavement strength with no big and tall buildings or trees around.
Chen Hong, an air force expert, said that there are strict requirements on a highway runway for the aircraft to take off from it or land on it. It has different standards of the pavement from that of the regular highway, especially for the Y-7 and the Su-27 aircraft, which pose very high-demanding requirements on the pavement strength. The regular highway has risks of collapse especially in the process of the aircraft's take-off or landing. A helicopter has less strict requirements in contrast, but it needs a platform the double size or larger of the rotor wings of the helicopter.
In terms of the thickness of groundwork, the concrete or stone groundwork of the regular highway is about 5 centimeters while the highway runway for the aircraft needs a higher strength with the groundwork to be dozens of centimeters in thickness.
In terms of the road surface, the highway runway for the aircraft has a very high-demanding requirement for the evenness. The road surface should be free of stones or metal particles lest they will be sucked into the engine and cause dangers.
In terms of the materials, the top layer is paved with a specially-improved asphalt concrete capable of water absorption to filter the detained water caused by rain or snow, while the regular concrete road surface is easy to detain water.
In terms of the surrounding environments, it demands a "clear" condition. There should be no obstacles in the surrounding to affect the aircraft so that it can insure the take-off or landing of the aircraft not be blocked by any tall and big buildings or trees.
When the highway serves as a runway for the aircraft to take off or land, all dividing blocks in the middle of the road should be removed, and the seam between the lanes in opposite directions should join together well. There shouldn't be big cracks or seams. The road surface under the dividing blocks should also be very flat and even.
According to Chen Hong, not any section of the highway can be used for the aircraft to take off or land. A certain section of the highway should be preset to serve the military purpose and it needs special maintenance and protection. When needed, several sections are put to the temporary use. Generally, a range of 2,000-plus meters on the highway runway is installed mostly for emergency use. It's an international practice to have such highways used as emergency runways. It's a measure to serve both the military and the civilian purposes.
The Zhengzhou-Minquan Highway used for the test flight is a highway from Zhengzhou to Minquan in Henan province. It is the first highway in Henan province to be constructed with the function of highway runway. Built in completely compliance to the standard designs by the Survey and Design Institute of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), it was completed and opened to traffic at the end of 2011.
It is learned that both sides of the highway runway cannot have protective fence. Since the dividing blocks are removable when needed, they are installed with wheels on the inner side so that they can be put down on the inner side and wheeled to the roadside.
According to the report of the China Central Television (CCTV), several hundred concrete dividing blocks along the 2.6km-long reserve highway runway on the Zhengzhou-Minquan Highway can be all moved to the road side within one hour to make the room out of the six-lane runway for the aircraft to take off or land.
Moreover, a highway runway also needs to reserve a turn-around apron and a service area for the aircraft. It is learned that this service area is big enough to accommodate 20-odd large-size aircraft, more than three times of the size of regular service area, with multiple functions, such as refueling, inspection and repairs, turn-around, and others. On both ends of the runway is built a mobile control tower and an aircraft navigation radar platform.

More to it than just an evening in Paris

My article More to it than just an evening in Paris appeared yesterday in the Edit Page of The Pioneer. 

If the new Government is serious about improving defence preparedness, it will need the support of reliable and strategic partners. France should be right on top of that list

Here is the link..

The election campaign will soon come to a close. By and large, it has been a lively exercise, and even though some commentators described it as the ‘ugliest’, looked at retrospectively, the massive affair was rather decent (it is obvious that loose cannons can’t learn to shoot in a civil way in one day).
One regret is that the candidates concentrated mainly on India’s internal issues, forgetting external affairs and defence, which are so crucial at a time when India aspires to become a superpower. With most pollsters prophesying that the NDA will be able to form the next Government, what does it mean for India’s foreign and defence policy?
The BJP manifesto speaks of foreign relations based on the concept of ‘Nation First and Universal Brotherhood’. This does not help much to grasp future policies. Mr  Narendra Modi’s party, however, affirms that it plans to “reboot and re-orient the foreign policy goals, content and process… We will build a strong, self-reliant and self-confident India, regaining its rightful place in the comity of nations.”
In an interesting analysis in The Times of India, Ms Indrani Bagchi quotes some of Mr Modi’s advisors who suggest that export promotion and defence should be added to the script of the Ministry of External Affairs. “While the US is rightly accused of over-militarising its foreign policy, India leans too far in the opposite direction. Think Colin Powell,” Ms Bagchi writes.
It is not sure if the MEA can ‘think Powell’, but one can hope that at least the Ministry of Defence will think ‘military’. A small sentence in the BJP manifesto could indeed make a difference for India’s preparedness (if implemented of course): “Ensure greater participation of Armed Forces in the decision-making process of the Ministry of Defence”.
It may not be easy for the new Government to find individuals who have the capacity to breathe a new life into these offices of South Block. After years of hibernation, old habits will not disappear in one day. Hopefully, the next Prime Minister will find the rare birds to rejuvenate the MEA and the MoD.
Another issue will be to find long-term and reliable partners. India’s foreign policy should not only be dependent on a nasty procurer or biased lobbies in the US Congress. In order to re-balance its foreign policy, India should deepen its relations with old friends such as Japan, Israel and France.
Let me mention more in detail the relation with France which I have followed for years. On November 30, 1962, just 10 days after China invaded an unprepared India, General Charles de Gaulle wrote to Jawaharlal Nehru: “We cannot approve that border claims are settled by military action which is in any case is disproportionate with [China’s] proclaimed objectives”. At that time, India had already acquired several military aircraft from France: Ouragan/Toofani (from Dassault), Mystère and Alizée (from Bréguet) were used by the Indian Air Force.
After President François Mitterrand’s visit to India in 1982, the collaboration took a new turn; a contract was finalised to buy off-the-shelf 40 Mirage-2000s. There was no question of technology transfer at that time, though India still uses the ‘refitted’ Mirage today.
The real change came in January 1998 with the Strategic Partnership signed during President Jacques Chirac’s visit to New Delhi, which was followed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s trip to Paris later that year. Before reaching New Delhi, the French President had declared that he was keen on an “ambitious partnership”. In Paris, Mr Vajpayee affirmed: “Both countries share a perspective that the new world order has to be a genuine multi-polar world order.” The partnership gave a tremendous boost to bilateral relations.
It is unfortunate that in the last few years, the Ministry of Defence has been napping. For example, the contract between France’s MBDA and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation to jointly develop a short-range surface-to-air missile, to be used by the IAF and the Navy, was finalised a year ago. Unfortunately, some babus are sleeping on the file. Why? Nobody knows. India is losing time and money.
One of the several outcomes of the 1998 Strategic Partnership was the organisation of regular joint air (Garuda) and naval (Varuna) exercises. Who remembers today that France was the first country to conduct joint air exercises with India? In February 2003, Garuda-I took place in Gwalior.
The fifth edition of Garuda is presently happening at Jodhpur airbase. Four Rafales from the Lorraine squadron and one air-refueller landed in Rajasthan a few days ago to participate in the most sophisticated exercises.
The 100-or-so French personnel accompanying the fighter planes are used to the scorching heat. Lorraine is based at the Al Dhafra airbase, near Abu Dabi. For 10 days, the IAF with its Sukhoi-30 MKI, Mig-27 UPG and one Ilyushin II-78 refueller, will be practicing with the French Air Force.
Incidentally in April, two Rafales and a C-135 FR air refueller demonstrated the plane’s strategic reach. They flew from their base in Istres, near Marseille in France, to Reunion Island in the southern Indian Ocean. The non-stop flight took some 10 hours and 35 minutes and involved five in-flight refuellings!
At the same time, Pakistan, always eager to emulate India’s realisations, organises a joint drill with the Chinese Air Force; code-named ‘Shaheen (Eagle)-3’. It is held at the Rafiqui airbase in the northeastern province of Punjab.
Last year at the Bangalore airshow, during an informal talk with the French Air Chief, General Denis Mercier, I asked him to characterise India-France relations. He just said “trust” and quoted the example of the (previous) Garuda joint air exercises. He explained that with only few countries was France so confident to “share”, and this translated into extremely meaningful joint exercises.
One can only hope that the current exercises will make the new Government realise the importance of finalising the ‘Mother of All Deals’ for the 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft. The Rafale of Dassault Aviation was selected two years ago, but since then not much information has filtered from the corridors of the MoD.
If in a few years, if India possesses a fleet of 126 Rafales, plus 50 ‘refitted’ Mirages-2000, 150 SU-MKIs, a couple of Scorpene submarines, the Vikramaditya aircraft carrier and hopefully the indigenous Tejas, it will have a formidable deterrence tool.
During his recent visit in Xinjiang, close to the Indian border, Chinese President Xi Jinping told his soldiers: “The more you sweat in peacetime, the less you bleed in wartime”. He also said: “I am very concerned about your equipment and training.... You must have the effective means.”
The Indian forces too need good equipment and proper training. Reliable partners are also required. Let us hope for the best.

Tibetan soldiers in the PLA

Training in Tibet: how many Tibetan soldiers?

I post below an article published in China Daily about the participation of Tibetan soldiers in the People's Liberation Army (PLA).
Without going into the details of the article, it appears that the PLA is using more and more 'local' Tibetans in border areas (with India), not just in Yunnan.
For China, it makes sense as these recruits are able to speak the local language (one can seriously doubt the assertion of the reporter that someone from Chamdo can't understand someone from Shigatse and therefore both have to communicate in Mandarin).
The induction of Tibetans into the PLA however raises a larger question: does the PLA 'trust' Tibetans to defend China's borders?
It is clear that the Tibetans mentioned in the China Daily's article serve at a lower level. 
How many senior officers belonging to the so-called minorities serve in the PLA?
Still very few.
Let us not forget that ALL the 67 senior PLA officers who are member of the CCP's Central Committee are Han Chinese.
Another issue, what will happen if a solution is one day found between Dharamsala and Beijing?
Presume that Beijing agrees to something like the Middle Path advocated by the Dalai Lama.
In 2003, I questioned the Dalai Lama on this issue.
I asked  "What do you mean by 'genuine autonomy' for Tibetans within the People’s Republic of China?"
The Dalai Lama answered:

Foreign Affairs and defense will be carried by the Central government [Beijing]. In other words, Tibetans should have the final authority in all the matters that they can handle better. For example, for large scale factories, we might not be able to manage, so we will take Chinese expertise and help. Of course, for Foreign and Defense, which are themselves large subjects, we need the help of the Chinese.

I further asked: "Suppose tomorrow, the Chinese accept your formula and you leave with them defense matters. The next day, they plan a war against India. What will you do in such a case?"
After seriously thinking, the Tibetan leader answered:

As a Tibetan, it is impossible to think of shooting an Indian. In fact, once a few Indian journalists came here, they were seating where you are today and I explained to them the concept of
'genuine autonomy'. I told them jokingly “it is unthinkable for a Tibetan to open fire towards India, so let the Chinese do that”.
It was a joke (laughing).
But in case such a serious situation develops, of course, I will try my best to cool down the conflict, first as a person devoted to peace and against violence, I will express myself and try [to solve the conflict].
Then the best part of my life has been spent in India. India is also the home of our spirituality, the home of Buddhadharma. For me, the Sino-Indian relations are so important; conflict should be avoided at any cost. It is what I think.

It is one of the issues that Tibetans in exile should think about.
Today, many of the refugees in India serve in outfits associated with the Indian Army. If one day, the Dalai Lama's 'Middle Path' is acceptable to China, will these jawans return to Tibet and serve under the PLA?
It is of course a hypothetical question.

Senior Colonel Abdul Rehman Habimulati

An Uyghur Officer in Ngari
Another interesting development: the South Xinjiang Military District (opposite India in Ladakh) has a new Deputy Commander.
The name of this Senior Colonel (corresponding to a Brigade Commander) is 哈里木拉提 · 阿不都热合满 (Habimulati Abdul Rehman?).
Habimulati Abdul Rehman is an ethnic Uighur, born in Urumqi, Xinjiang in 1961.
According to his bio, he got a bachelor degree in military high-tech applications and management from the prestigious Shijiazhuang Army Command College.
He also served as head of the South Xinjiang Military District’s Political Department.
No Tibetans seems to have reach this level so far.


Here is the China Daily's article: 

Tibetan soldiers strengthen top regiment
April 26, 2014
China Daily

Seven years of operating cannons and hauling self-carried missiles in the People's Liberation Army have left calluses on Tashi Phuntsog's palms and fingers.
His arms show scars from numerous military exercises.
Born and raised in a farmer's family in Shigatze, the second-largest city in the Tibet autonomous region, Tashi Phuntsog, 25, a member of the Tibetan ethnic group, never had a chance to attend high school because of financial difficulties at home.
At 15, after graduating from a rural middle school, he began studying traditional Tibetan painting to decorate houses. He managed to excel in the technique after three years and became known for his craft in nearby neighborhoods.
"I could earn about 200 yuan ($32) a day painting exterior walls," he said. "It was a relatively decent income for local Tibetans. But I knew my body would not be able to sustain the labor when I hit 35."
Curious about the thousands of businessmen from the Han ethnic group in Tibet, he also wanted to know what was happening in the outside world.
In 2007, Tashi Phuntsog got an opportunity to change his life, and he took it. He enlisted in the army.
In the seven years since, he has cultivated his literacy and become an outstanding soldier. He was deployed to an artillery regiment of the Chengdu Military Command and stationed in eastern Yunnan province.
Among the 1,500 soldiers in his unit are members of at least six ethnic groups - including Tibetan, as well as Yi and Miao from Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou provinces, said Zhu Jiang, the regiment's political instructor.
The regiment was named a role model for the army, with soldiers from several ethnic groups excelling as they fulfill their duty of safeguarding the 4,000-kilometer stretch of China's national border in Yunnan.

Learning Mandarin
In 1998, the regiment was singled out by Jiang Zemin, then chairman of the Central Military Commission and Chinese president, as an example of how to improve military training and combat effectiveness.
But many ethnic minority soldiers must first learn Mandarin, an infrequently used language in some minority areas. Overcoming language barriers allows them to spend more time in military training.
When Tashi Phuntsog first arrived at the regiment's camp, he was usually quiet. His commander, Xu Guiping, noticed and presented him with a Tibetan-Mandarin dictionary. He had to start from the basic pinyin system based on faint memories from his middle school days.
Xu would inquire every time they met whether Tashi Phuntsog had completed his homework of copying pinyin and Chinese characters.
Chime Drolgar [Dolkar], a 22-year-old female Tibetan in the regiment, said she studied Mandarin on her own at night after fellow soldiers fell asleep. "You have to go faster when left behind," she said.
As they spoke different dialects, Chime Drolgar could not understand another Tibetan woman, Gondro Drolma, who is from Qamdo [Chamdo] in eastern Tibet. They turned to Mandarin to communicate.
Sometimes, Chime Drolgar would invite other Tibetan soldiers, including Gondro Drolma and Galsang Lhamo, to learn their new language at the library, staying up until the lights were switched off at 11 pm.
Tashi Phuntsog and others had mastered the basics of their new language after a year, and even started to joke with other soldiers.
Lhagpa Dondrub, a 25-year-old from Tibet, was promoted to company commander based on his excellent year-end performance and sent to a military school to further his studies.

Dreams and reality
Last year, 15 women were enlisted from Xigaze, along with another 55 men, said Chime Drolgar. She is now in her second year and training to launch anti-tank missiles.
She said many of her friends dream of joining the army to broaden their horizons and change their destiny. Many might otherwise become herdswomen. A popular drama about young Chinese female soldiers inspired her to try for the army, she said.
Believing that her family would not support her decision, Chime Drolgar filled out a military application form in secret and took the test. But she miswrote her name on the answer sheet and worried about being disqualified.
The local soldier recruitment office suggested that her family drive to catch up with the examiners on their way to Lhasa, capital of the autonomous region, to make the correction.
With little choice, Chime Drolgar called her oldest brother for help, and her sheet was intercepted and revised at the last minute. That night, Chime Drolgar talked to her parents to convince them.
Life in the regiment was nothing like home for Chime Drolgar, the youngest of eight siblings who was frequently excused from housework. She now has to do everything on her own, including making her bed in strict accordance with regimental requirements.

Useful attributes
Ethnic minority soldiers seem to naturally possess physical advantages that an artillery regiment requires, Zhu said.
"For example, Tibetan soldiers have wonderful endurance for tough running and carrying missiles. Kids in Yi ethnic villages throw rocks to direct sheep, and as soldiers are particularly good at throwing hand grenades, pretty far and accurately. Those are desirable capabilities because an artilleryman needs to take aim at flying targets," Zhu said.
In his first year, Tashi Phuntsog was tasked with loading cartridges into cannons because of his muscular arms. He also attracted his commanders' attention when he won first prize in a 5,000-meter foot race the next year.
He was transferred to a self-carried missile company and trained to use a more complicated weapon that can hit a flying object at 5,000 meters.
The once-shy soldier started to ask questions of commanders and fellow soldiers to figure out solutions to technical problems. While other soldiers were playing basketball, he could be seen studying a book.
Based on his excellent performance in tests last year, Tashi Phuntsog was given a top noncommissioned-officer award by the Central Military Commission. He is confident of further promotions.
"My goal is to serve in national defense. I must impress the regimental leadership," Tashi Phuntsog said. "Two of my fellow soldiers have been promoted. I cannot be left behind."

Some of the pictures accompanying the article of the China Daily

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peace with China can only be pursued from a position of power

While China works on a fifth generation aircraft...

My article Peace with China can only be pursued from a position of power appeared on the website of NitiCentral.

Here is the link...

As Chinese State Councilor and Special Representative Yang Jiechi arrives in Delhi to discuss the boundary question with his Indian counterpart, National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon (it will be the 17th round of talks since 2003), China declared that it hoped to make its common border with India ‘a bridge and bond’.
It may take many more years to settle the border issue between India and China; there is one historic reason: the 4,000 km frontier has for thousands of years been the border with Tibet and not with China. It is only after the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950 that China and India acquired a common border.
Another reason why it will take time to find a mutually acceptable solution is that Beijing could live with the status quo and the ‘moving’ LAC for a few decades more.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei may say: “An early settlement serves the interests of both China and India, and it is a strategic objective set by the two governments,” but in the past the facts have spoken otherwise. For example, in the Depsang plane in April 2013 or more recently in Chumur in South Ladakh, China’s interests are clearly to keep India on tenterhooks.
In the meantime, Beijing can have a good laugh. They have only to read the Indian (and foreign) press about the sorry state of affairs in the Indian defence sector.
The Government has postponed until the next financial year the plan to purchase 126 fighter planes from France's Dassault Aviation. Why? The national coffers are empty. It is what Defence Minister AK Antony affirmed while inaugurating the DefExpo, the biennial defence mela at Pragati Maidan: “Major procurement can only be possible in the next financial year. There is no money left.”
The Rafales, the French combat aircraft was selected for ‘exclusive negotiations’ in January 2012. The talks were to buy 18 planes off-the-shelf and build the balance in India (under license with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited). Admitting that his ministry has already spent 92 percent of its defence capital budget for the financial year, AK Antony said that the talks “will stretch into the following fiscal year”.
At the end of 2012, the defence ministry had announced that it had prioritized its expenditure for the remaining months of the financial year 2012-2013.
Though the longest-serving defence minister then spoke of 'new ground realities' and 'changing security scenario', the finance ministry nevertheless slashed crore the defence budget by Rs 10,000. It was said to be the provision for the Rafales whose deal could not be finalized by March 31, 2013. An entire financial year has passed and India is today ‘broke’.
A year ago, The Times of India had commented: "the IAF had been assured an additional Rs 10,000 crore to cater for the first installment of the [Rafale] project under which final commercial negotiations are underway for French Rafale fighters, if inked within this fiscal."
Now, the Finance ministry has conveniently forgotten its promise.
In these circumstances, the Chinese can indeed remain ‘cool’ and speak of ‘the border as a bridge’.
Mr. Antony also asserted that arms procurement has been delayed “as he tried to clean up the process …it was important to send a message that India would tolerate no wrong- doing in these deals”.
Well, who takes the bribes? It can only be somebody in the Government who can influence the decision, otherwise why would ‘foreigners’ just pay bribes? To help some needy bureaucrats or politicians?
It explains the ‘slump’ in the exhibitors at the DefExpo this year. As many exhibitors did not turn up, 3 sections of Hall 7 and an entire floor in Hall 18 remained unoccupied; The Asian Age explained: “the mood among those who have come, is downbeat.”
Capt. Bharat Verma, editor of Indian Defence Review told The Asian Age: “You cannot blacklist 27 global companies and kick them out of DefExpo, and then expect it to be a roaring success.”
La Tribune, the French daily financial website pointed to 5 factors which triggered the depression: the forthcoming legislative elections in May which make it difficult for the present government to take decisions, (it mentioned the not so successful visit of Shivshankar Menon to Paris last week); the falling rate of the rupee which increases the cost of importing military equipment; the pervasive corruption (the newspaper quotes amongst others the Bofors deal, the cancellation of the 197 choppers to be supplied by Eurocopter and the latest VVIP helicopter scam); the extremely complicated procurement procedure and finally the legendary slow speed of the Indian administration. This makes the list too long for many suppliers.
It is not that India does not need to counter China by buying armament abroad (or signing joint venture deals with foreign firms). In the meantime indeed, China is progressing at giant strides.
Associated Press quoted James Clapper, the US Director of National Intelligence, saying that “China had pursued a very impressive military modernisation that was designed to address what it saw as America's military strengths.”
Speaking at a House Intelligence Committee hearing about China's attitude in the East and South China Seas, Clapper affirmed: “They've been quite aggressive about asserting what they believe is their manifest destiny in that part of the world."
On January 27 in The Study Times, a publication of the Party School of the Chinese Communist Party, explained how China’s dream relates to a stronger army: “Up until now, China’s basic military strategy has been self-defense, to defend China’s mainland. …As China rises, China’s military strategy should be more and more outgoing. …We should not only be effective in deterring and defeating any aggression against our native mainland; we should also be effective in deterring and stopping any country that is against our vital interests abroad and deterring and stopping any neighboring countries that play with fire and intensify conflicts.”  
Of course, the US, a ‘Big Power’ is first targeted; India is not considered as a match for China (for Beijing at least).
Another official Chinese publication The International Herald Leader (IHL) commented on China’s hypersonic missile tested in early January. While US officials said that the test of new weapon marks “an important advance for the Chinese new strategic nuclear and conventional missile development program”, the IHL article accused the US to continuously hyping China’s weapons and spacecraft tests, “to create a sense of urgency for the United States mission and arouse a sense of crisis among US allies”.
The article concluded that the US “does not, by any means, have an exclusive patent on hypersonic aircraft. …Only when China becomes really strong will the ‘China military threat’ noise eventually disappear.”
Today, Beijing can speak of Sino-Indian as a ‘bridge’ because the Communist Government has given itself the means to offer peace (on its terms), to Delhi at least. China has understood that to speak about peace, one has to be powerful; it is unfortunately not India’s case.

The top killer weapon to attack the most stubborn provocateur

Today some news from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and PLAAF (PLA's Air Force).
Most interesting is a short 'denial' in The Global Times which says: "The MND [Ministry of National Defence] denies rumors of military restructuring."
Usually in China, an official denial means that there is some truth behind the rumors, but it is too early to say it..
An official statement published on the MND website affirms: "Online speculation about a military reorganization and system adjustments are just rumors".
It however admits: "The defense ministry is researching a military reform plan which should be in accordance with reform decisions made last month by the Communist Party of China's Central Committee."
The Global Times details the 'rumours': "Online speculation over the reforms claimed that a ground force headquarters will be added to the current air force, navy and the second artillery force (missile force)."
An Army headquarters makes sense.
The second rumour quoted by the Communist Party mouthpiece is even more interesting for India: "The military areas in Xinjiang Uyghur and Tibet autonomous regions will be merged into one force."
In case of a conflict with India, it would be logical. Instead of having to coordinate the Western Front (Lanzhou Military Area Command) with the Eastern Front (Chengdu Military Area Command), with all the complications and coordination issues implied, India would be facing one 'Tibet' Military Area Command (MAC). Though it has officially been denied, it also makes sense for the PLA to have a single MAC facing India.
Another rumor/speculation is that the PLA's garrison in Hong Kong would be withdrawn, and naval and air forces would be administered by other military bases. It would be a step further towards the integration of the former British colony in the Mainland. Also denied.
Xu Qiliang, one of the two vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission recently told The People's Daily that "The Chinese military will strengthen and enhance the navy, air force and the second artillery force in accordance with the challenges and threats the country is facing."
It is how the rumors started... 

Urgent need for standardization
In the meantime, The People's Liberation Army Daily published a report highlighting the urgent need for standardization in the Chinese armed forces.
It affirms that "standardization would multiply the troops' combat capabilities", admitting that the lack of coordinated standardization among the army, navy, and air forces could become the 'Achilles heel' of China's defence system.
This newly-found transparency is interesting.
The report gives concrete examples: "during a military exercise, sailors on the four ships were able to hear one another. However, they could not transmit combat data because their information system was not compatible with that of the recipients."

Another instance is cited: "A brigade in the Second Artillery responded to an emergency with more than 300 vehicles and equipment, but there were as many as 90 different brands and models. The communications battalion alone had 12 different models of generators. The brigade commander complained that if there were a war, they would need to have several truckloads of spare parts."
It is clear that the time for 'reforms' announced after the Third Plenum of the Central Committee has come.

Top Killer Weapon to Attack the Most Stubborn Provocateur  
Another piece of news, on December 10, 2013, Huanqiu, the Chinese edition of The Global Times, wrote about the security threats facing China.
It explains that "China has to deal with complicated security threats from outside and inside of China, as well as security threats that are intertwined both externally and internally."
Of course for Beijing, 'external security threats' are mainly due to what China calls 'evil return to Asia' of the United States. According to Huanqiu, the internal security threats are the consequences "of unbalanced economic development, pollution, the huge gap between the rich and the poor, social conflicts, and the splits in political consensus among the leadership."
The article sees a collusion between 'outside hostile forces' and inside forces  using modern information technology (i.e. the Internet); it believes that "China faces intertwined external and internal security threats, such as Western hostile forces' political, ideological and cultural infiltration", adding that the 'Western hostile forces' have also "selected and trained some public intellectuals, known as Big Vs (online celebrities or influential microbloggers) and young government and military officials to spread a lot of dangerous information on the Internet in order to confuse the Chinese people."
The article quotes the unrest in the Arabic countries as an example of what can happen 'if the Chinese government does not watch out'; it will be the chaos in the Middle Kingdom!
Several ways to solve the security problems are suggested:

1. Strengthen co-ordination under the leadership of the newly established National Security Council. 
2. Strengthen power building in national security research, the military, information, technology, finance, transportation, nuclear, and the biochemistry industries. 
3. Apply strategies wisely in order to isolate the small numbers of enemies and strengthen united front work. Increase scientific and technological innovation and have the courage to surpass others.

The article ended by a warning to the 'outside hostile forces': "China has the world's most powerful conventional ballistic missile, the top killer weapon, to attack the most stubborn provocateur."
Though the 'stubborn provocateur' is usually Beijing, whether in Depsang Plain or in the East China Sea!

From the other side of the border
A good news from the other side of the McMahon Line.
We thought that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had gone into hibernation before the 2014 General Legislative Elections, but it is apparently wrong.
PTI affirms that: "France's Dassault Aviation and Reliance Industries are planning to set up a facility to produce wings of Rafale combat aircraft selected by IAF for meeting its requirement of 126 fighter planes [Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft or MMRCA] .The two firms are planning to set up a Rs. 1,000-crore facility for producing the wings of the Rafale combat aircraft and it is most likely to come up in Bangalore."
If this is confirmed, it is good news for India's defence forces.
PTI further explains that Dassault Aviation would help Reliance to establish The news agency's source asserts that the MoD and other agencies concerned, have given a green light to Dassault and Reliance to go ahead with the project.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) would however remain the lead integrator for the 126 MMRCAs: "The differences over the issue have been resolved and Dassault and HAL have started readying their teams for implementing the project after it is signed."
It may not be the 'top killer weapon', but a serious deterrent, in case China is tempted by another 1962-adventure (from a single MAC or two). 

China's Ultimate Secret Weapon?

Where is the target?

China has a novel strategic theory and this time, it is not for the East China Sea.
The Global Times, a publication affiliated to the Communist Party’s mouthpiece The People’s Daily today affirmed that smog could thwart missile attacks and hamper hostile air reconnaissance.
That is indeed an interesting military doctrine!
The Global Times' headline is "The impact of smog on military equipment".
It argues: "Smog may affect people’s health and daily lives … but on the battlefield, it can serve as a defensive advantage in military operations."
The South China Morning Post (see below) commented on the Chinese netizen's reactions to China's new defensive weapon.
However, the same day, China Tibet Online, affilated to Xinhua, reported: 'No hazy weather in Tibet'.
It quoted the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection: "No hazy weather has been witnessed in Tibet even though it has visited 20 provinces in inland China and caused severe air pollution. Tibet is much colder compared with many inland areas, but is much cleaner."
That's not good for the Chinese defence preparedness in their Western sector?
The Chinese website explains: "Recently, it is reported on many media that hazy weather has hit 104 cities in middle-east China continuously, and the National Meteorological Centre has sent orange alert to heavy fog and haze.
The polluted air condition has caused traffic troubles and serious impact on people's health. Some cities like Nanjing, the capital city of Jiangsu Province, have even suspended classes of secondary and elementary schools.
However, none of that happens in Tibet where blue sky is the most common scene in winter."
According to the latest White Paper 'Development and Progress of Tibet' issued by the Information Office of the State Council in October, the Tibet Plateau is "the third-cleanest area in the world in terms of its environment after the South Pole and North Pole".
The White Paper affirms that Tibet has a clean and transparent atmospheric environment, and similar contents of pollutants to the North Pole.
Does it mean that it is bad for China's defence of its borders with India?
The Indian Ministry of Defence should seriously study this issue?
Another possibility is that the PLA has stakes in some polluting industries and the generals are trying to preserve their interests.
It is however surprising that the 'official' press is allowed to publish such a non-sense.

The clean Tibetan plateau

Smog? It bolsters military defence, says Chinese nationalist newspaper
South China Morning Post
December,8 2013
Chris Luo
A nationalist newspaper has tried to put a positive spin on China’s smog, claiming it is conducive to the country's military defence strategy. Smog, it argued, could thwart missile attacks and hamper hostile reconnaissance.
The article in the Global Times under the headline, "The impact of smog on military equipment". It has provoked a lively discussion on Sina Weibo - and also some angry comments.
Missile guidance that relies on human sight, infrared rays and lasers could be affected by smog in varing degrees, the article said. It explained that tiny particles in the air contributing to air pollution could hinder missile guidance systems.
The article said that during the Kosovo war, soldiers of the then Federal Republic of Yugoslavia used smoke from burning tyres to hamper Nato air strikes. The smoke reduced visibility, hindering reconnaissance efforts, the article said.
Photographic reconnaissance equipment employed by satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles and reconnaissance vehicles would be rendered useless by smog it added.
The article also said that during the first Gulf war, sand storms reduced the identification distances of thermal imaging equipment on US tanks from 2,500 metres to 800 metres, while optical detection of Iraqi tanks was reduced to almost nil.
For most of the past week, extensive areas of eastern China including the cities of Shanghai and Nanjing have been hit by severe smog, the worst so far this winter, which some described as an “airpocalypse”.
Smog in Shanghai today. Photo: Brandon King Chinese internet users were unimpressed by the Global Times article, which was seen as an attempt by authorities to put a positive spin on deteriorating air quality and to divert public anger from official inaction.
“Are you saying the smog is not air pollution, but a national defence measure?” a blogger said on Sina Weibo microblog.
Another reader who commented on the article said: “But enemies wouldn’t need to resort to missile attacks if the smog continues to increase – people will simply be poisoned to death.”
Yet some others compared the article to a widely-reposted comment made by a military spokesperson who earlier this year claimed that US nuclear submarines would avoid China’s eastern Yellow Sea because their propeller’s might become entangled by ropes used by farmers to grow seaweed.
“After seaweed, China has added another secret weapon to the country’s national defence arsenal – smog,” one Internet user quipped.

Through Metok, China tunnels its way to India

Metok County, the Paradise on Earth?

My article Through Metok, China tunnels its way to India was published on December 5 in the Edit Page of The Pioneer.

Beijing has been trying to set up transport connectivity to the remote Tibetan region, close to the McMahon line, for long. It has now succeeded, and with immense consequences for the defence of Arunachal Pradesh

A Chinese website affiliated with the official Xinhua news agency, China Tibet Online, recently gave what it calls ‘fast facts on controversial Arunachal Pradesh’: “The recent Indian President’s visit to the so-called Arunachal Pradesh has triggered the controversial discussion of border issue between China and India again”. Commenting on President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to Arunachal, Xinhua said that Beijing ‘urged’ India “to refrain from moves that complicate boundary issues and work with China to create conditions for talks”. The claims and the counter-claims aside, an important aspect of the border dispute is the infrastructure development close to the McMahon Line. Here the Chinese are far in advance of India.
As Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao landed in Delhi in December 2010, Xinhua dropped a bombshell: “The tunnel of highway linking Tibet’s Metok completed”. With Metok located just north of the McMahon Line, this development heralded one of the most important strategic changes for the defence of India’s north-eastern border.

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India should take a lesson from what China thinks and does

My article India should take a lesson from what China thinks and does is posted on Rediff.com

'There is still no road on the last 37 km between the McMahon Line and Menchuka in Arunachal Pradesh. Ironically, during my visit, Beijing announced the opening of a 117- km highway linking Metok, located just north of the McMahon Line.'
'My local friends kept saying with some envy in their voices, "The Chinese are very much in advance on us".' Claude Arpi on a recent visit to the last large village before the McMahon Line that divides India and China.
India should take a lesson from what China thinks and does, as there is no doubt that the Chinese are better planners than Indians.

Already when he was heir apparent, Xi Jinping stated: 'We must implement Mao's strategic concept of the 'unity between soldiers and civilians" and both the army and regional civilian authorities should assiduously pool our resources in the preparation for military struggle.'
What does it mean?
It signifies that the civil administration as well as the private sector should participate in the nation's preparedness to defend its borders.
Chairman Mao was an ardent advocate of 'The synthesis between the requirements of peacetime and war.' In other words, civilian infrastructure projects like airports, roads and railways should be designed to serve both peace and war needs.
It is not that Indians are unable to think far ahead. Sardar Patel had a far-sighted vision about Indian border issues.
On November 7, 1950 (just five weeks before he passed away), he wrote to Nehru on the following requirements:

• A military and intelligence appreciation of the Chinese threat to India both on the frontier and internal security.
• An appraisement of strength of our forces; A long-term consideration of our defense needs.
• The political and administrative steps which we should take to strengthen our Northern and North-Eastern Frontier.
• Improvement of our communication, road, rail, air and wireless in these areas and with the frontier outposts.

It is sad that nothing was done then, or later, on the issue of border development, even after the tragic events of October-November 1962...

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The Henderson Brooks Report again

Lt. Gen. Henderson-Brooks

The Indian Defence Review publishes an article entitled Why Henderson Brooks Report Cannot be De-classified written by Lt. Gen. Prakash Katoch. 
As it quotes me, I am posting it here.
It probably answers my article, 1962 War: Why keep Henderson Brooks report secret?
Unfortunately (or fortunately for me), I am not Assange or Snowden, though I only hope that one day, one Indian General will play the Assange role.
I always wondered why Neville Maxwell, if had a copy of the Report, had not 'declassified' it, posting him on the Net? 

Why Henderson Brooks Report Cannot be De-classified 
Lt. Gen. (Retd) Prakash Katoch

Claude Arpi’s demand to release the Henderson Brooks report is akin to Julian Assange and Edward Snowden seeking asylum in India. Understandably, Wikileaks disclosures of black money stashed abroad by Indians had sent many personalities scurrying for cover. There was flurry of movement to foreign lands, personal jets, and chartered planes, jets lent by birds of same flock, unexplained mysterious absences and what have you. Now that there is some measure of relief, Julian Assange wants asylum here. Where is the guarantee that he will not release another list disclosing how the black money has been siphoned out, to which new destinations, how much has been surreptitiously routed back to India, by whom, and into which developmental, private construction or other projects. Edward Snowden is even bigger threat. That he is already in league with Julian is an established fact, implying Julian can always leak information through Edward. But the bigger threat is what information Edward has swiped from the US NSA’s Prism. Although our Foreign Minister has certified “no data has been stolen” from the Indian Embassy in Washington DC, his own subordinates are not convinced of his credentials as cyber expert. So getting back to Edward Snowden, God knows what secrets this guy may leak out given that even Obama appears so shaken up.

Claude has quoted Neville Maxwell in questioning that even if Jawaharlal Nehru emerges in in bad light in the Henderson Brooks Report, why should it be kept in wraps in a modern democracy like India. He also writes that in 2008, Defense Minister, Mr AK Antony told the Indian Parliament that the Henderson Brooks could not be declassified. Mr Antony claimed that the report could not be made public because an internal study by the Indian Army had established that its contents “are not only extremely sensitive but are of current operational value.” When did the Government of India start seeking military advice on strategic security issues? As to Claude pointing out that the report only generally points out to lack of political direction, which report in India ever has indicted individuals in power?

Claude Arpi has quoted the Henderson Brooks Report in saying, “No major security threat other than from Pakistan was perceived. And the armed forces were regarded adequate to meet Pakistan’s threat. Hence very little effort and resources were put in for immediate strengthening of the security of the borders.” What stands obfuscated was this was ‘whose appreciation’; political appreciation, military appreciation, individual appreciation? Perhaps there could have been no one better to warn Nehru of China’s intentions and in no better form than Sardar Patel’s strategic advice through his letter dated 7th November 1950, excerpts of which are as follows:

“…We have to consider what new situation now faces us as a result of the disappearance of Tibet, as we knew it, and the expansion of China almost up to our gates. Throughout history we have seldom been worried about our north-east frontier. The Himalayas have been regarded as an impenetrable barrier against any threat from the north. We had a friendly Tibet which gave us no trouble. …..Chinese irredentism and communist imperialism are different from the expansionism or imperialism of the western powers. The former has a cloak of ideology which makes it ten times more dangerous. In the guise of ideological expansion lie concealed racial, national or historical claims. The danger from the north and north-east, therefore, becomes both communist and imperialist…….for the first time, after centuries, India’s defence has to concentrate itself on two fronts simultaneously….. we shall now have to reckon with communist China in the north and in the north-east, a communist China which has definite ambitions and aims and which does not, in any way, seem friendly disposed towards us…….”

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Tibet and China's territorial integrity

Agence France-Presse (AFP) recently reported from Washington DC that Lobsang Sangay, the Prime Minister of the Tibetan government-in-exile had declared that he accepted: “the Communist Party's rule in Tibet”.
According to AFP, during a visit to Washington, Sangay assured Beijing that “[China] will face no threat to its sovereignty if it eased its grip [on Tibet]”.
Sangay said that Dharamsala was “not challenging China's sovereignty or territorial integrity” though the exiled Administration wanted greater autonomy: “What we seek is genuine autonomy as per the framework of the Chinese constitution. ...In short, if the Chinese government implements their own law, we would take that as genuine autonomy. That, we think, is a moderate, reasonable solution which is a win-win proposition both for the Chinese government and the Tibetan people.”
The AFP quoted Barry Sautman, a social scientist who studies Tibetan issues at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, who believed that Sangay's remarks indicated that “the Tibetan government-in-exile had moved away from its [earlier] position. …The Tibetan government-in-exile wants to appear reasonable and engage in discussion.”
Sangay is naïve when he states that he assumes that Tibetans could get “decision-making positions in the region - notably Party Secretary”; adding that “he was not challenging the structure of the ruling party.” He is probably the only Tibetan to believe this.
Jiang Zhaoyong, a Beijing-based expert on ethnic issues told the AFP: “Beijing will not take his remarks seriously and make significant change.”
Many in Dharamsala will be relieved by this comment.
While Sangay is preaching a rapprochement with the Communist regime, the Party continues its attack on the Dalai Lama.
Cui Yuying, a Tibetan national holding the senior post in the Chinese Government (deputy director of the State Council Information Office) told some visiting Nepalese and Indian journalists: “The [Tibetans] respect [the Dalai Lama] culturally and in their religion, but they don’t agree with his political ideology.”
The Tibetan lady-official told PTI: “The Dalai Lama has been living in India as a guest. The Indian government has said that it will not allow the Dalai Lama to indulge in any political activity. China has full confidence in [the Indian Government].” She added that Tibetans in exile were welcome to return to Tibet ‘on an individual basis’.
Is Lobsang Sangay ready to listen to his countrywoman Cui, and ‘try’ the Communist regime’s rule on the Roof of the World?
It is doubtful that there will be many takers in Dharamsala.
Tibetan author Bhuchung D. Sonam commented on Sangay’s statement, “[it] contradicts two of the fundamental principles that his administration stands for – the Middle Way policy and democracy. The basic premise of the Middle Way policy is neither to seek separation from China ‘nor accept the present conditions of Tibet under the People’s Republic of China’. …Currently the CCP trumps over the rule of law and China’s constitution exists to serve the party. The Middle Way policy …does not accept the over-lordship of the Chinese Communist Party as the prime minister seems to suggest.”
Further, the Communist leadership can always argue that they have already started implementing the devolution of power. Beijing will say that the Standing Committee of the CCP’s Tibetan Autonomous Region already consists of 7 Han and 6 Tibetans: (in order of precedence: Chen Quanguo, Han, Secretary; Jampa Phuntsog, Tibetan, Deputy Secretary; Padma Choling, Tibetan, Deputy Secretary; Lobsang Gyaltsen, Tibetan, Deputy Secretary; Wu Yingjie, Han, Executive Deputy Secretary; Deng Xiaogang, Han, Deputy Secretary; General Yang Jinshan, Han, Member; Jin Shubo, Han, Member; Gungpo Tashi, Tibetan, Member; Chodak, Tibetan, Member; Norbu Dhondup, Tibetan, Member; Dong Yunhu, Han, Member; Liang Tiangeng, Han, Member).
What would Lobsang Sangay do if he was co-opted into the above group? As long as the Party exists, it is difficult to see ‘democracy’ being introduced on the Roof of the World or in the Middle Kingdom. Without democracy a ‘genuine’ solution seems a mere chimera.

China's sovereignty or territorial integrity
But much more serious for India, Sangay said that Dharamsala will "not challenge China's sovereignty or territorial integrity"?
What does it mean?
When Chinese troops entered Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) in Ladakh, Beijing said it was China's territory. Is Lobsang Sangay ready to accept this definition of China's of 'territorial integrity'?
Take another example: Okinawa. Recently The People's Daily published an article arguing that China has ‘ownership’ rights over the Ryukyu islands’ chain, which includes Okinawa island, where several US bases are located. The Chinese scholars argued that the agreement between Japan and the Allied Forces during the World War II, giving the ownership of the Ryukyu Islands to Japan, should be questioned.
Zhang Haipeng and Li Guoqiang of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences wrote: “It may be time to revisit the unresolved historical issue of the Ryukyu Islands.”
Later asked if China considered Okinawa part of Japan, Hua Chunying, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman just said scholars had long studied the history of the Ryukyus and Okinawa.
Will the Tibetans support by Beijing’s position on China’s ‘territorial integrity vis-avis Japan?
Closer to us is Arunachal Pradesh; China claims the entire state of Arunachal Pradesh as its own territory [i.e. Southern Tibet]. Does it mean that Dharamsala will not “challenge China's sovereignty or territorial integrity”?
Will the Tibetans deny that they had signed an agreement with India in 1914 delineating their common border (at least in India’s North-East).
Let us not forget that most of the Chinese claims along the 4,000 km Sino-Indian border (which was the Indo-Tibet border till 1954), are based on what used to be Tibetan ‘incursions’ south of the McMahon line in Tawang, Lohit, Siang and Subansari sectors. What will be the Tibetan position, if they do not want to challenge China’s territorial claims?
What about the relatively less-known central sector? For example, the Chinese claims in Barahoti (called Wuje by China) in Uttarakhand are based on the occasional ‘visit’ by some Tibetan herders south of the Himalayan watershed in the area; ditto for the nearby valleys of Sangchamalla and Lapthal.
The Nilang/Jadhang in the Jadh Ganga valley, north of Gangotri, also claimed by China because some Tibetan tax-collectors would have occasionally entered before 1950 what has always been part of the Tehri State. Beijing has also claimed the Hupsang Khud, west of Shipki Pass, in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. In a new set up, will the Tibetans side with the People’s Republic of China in their territorial claims?
Another serious issue is that under the Middle Path scheme advocated by Lobsang Sangay, ‘foreign affairs and defence’ would be under the Central Government, while the local Tibetan government would enjoy a ‘genuine’ autonomy in subjects like culture or education.
In such a scheme, in the case of a ‘stand-off’ such as the recent one in Ladakh or a larger conflict like in 1962, what will the stand of the Tibetans be?
Will they challenge China’s position or will they side with India which has generously granted them asylum for more than 50 years? It is a valid question.
Lobsang Sangay's statement has extremely serious implications for India's territorial integrity. He should certainly clarify his position.
A last side issue: since he ascended to the Middle Kingdom's throne, the new Emperor Xi Jinping has proclaimed the Great Dream of China: 'The China Dream will bring blessings and goodness to not only the Chinese people but also people in other countries.' The Chinese intrusion in Ladakh certainly did not fit with what India had understood of Xi’s Dream.
This brings another question: do the Tibetans have a Dream?
It can’t be to live under the yoke of the Communist Party of China.
Most of the 120 Tibetans who immolated themselves certainly had a Dream: “To see a Free Tibet in their next lives”.