Despite repeated assurances and a slew of measures from the Indian Government to protect the Olympic torch when it comes to New Delhi on April 17, China is keen on sending an advance security team to India over the next few days to coordinate with the efforts being made by New Delhi to make sure that the relay passes off without any incident.

Sources said a team of security personnel from China would work with the Indian authorities and “advise on and oversee” the arrangements made for the security of the torch. They said India was not the only country where China was sending such a team. Similar teams are already in some countries from where the torch is currently passing.

The latest move by the Chinese comes despite a number of steps taken by New Delhi, including restricting the torch relay to just a three-km stretch on the Rajpath, to ensure that there are no Tibetan protests, slogan shouting or flag-waving along the way. But the Chinese, being extremely sensitive on the Tibetan issue, are not ready to leave anything to chance.

Sources said the role of the Chinese team was still not clear and officials were working out the details of such an exercise. The issue of Tibet has already caused some diplomatic heartburn between New Delhi and Beijing when the Chinese Foreign Office had summoned Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao at the middle of the night to convey its displeasure over the Tibetan protests at the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi some days ago.

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