During the Kargil War between India and Pakistan in the summer of 1999 and the military confrontation during 2001-02, China maintained a measure of political neutrality.

While India took note of the new Chinese approach, it has reasons to worry about Hu’s plans to announce new economic projects in Northern Areas and Pak Occupied Kashmir when he travels to Islamabad later this week.

As it began to publicly revive its position that Northern Areas are part of J&K, India has a natural issue with the modernisation and upgradation of the Sino-Pak transport corridor across a territory that New Delhi claims to be its own.

Equally troublesome is the different political treatment that China gives to Indian Kashmir. Even as its expand their presence in PoK and Northern Areas, China is not willing to acknowledge India’s control over parts of J&K.

Chinese officials avoid visiting Indian Kashmir for fear of offending Pakistan, which claims the entire state as disputed. Beijing has also been dragging its feet on Indian proposals for cooperation across the disputed areas of Ladakh.

Extra-sensitivity to Pakistan`s positions on J&K was apparently part of China`s reluctance to exchange the boundary maps in the Western sector, where the territorial controls of Beijing, New Delhi and Islamabad converge.

Although India might not go public with its concerns, New Delhi would like to see China take a consistent approach towards different parts of J&K.

Meanwhile, China has its own gripe on India’s Tibet policy. Beijing was happy with the “evolution” in India’s position when Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee`s visited Beijing in June 2003. Since then India has declared that “Tibet Autonomous Region is part of the territory of the People’s Republic of China”. Beijing reciprocated by accepting India’s sovereignty over Sikkim.

... contd.