Now that the dust has somewhat settled on the “China hype”, with the government going the full distance to scotch half-truths and rumours which created needless anxiety for about two weeks, it is important to also straighten the record on this new brand of Chinese aggressiveness which has been conspicuously downplayed in the government discourse that has followed.

First, it must be pointed out that for all the reports about Chinese incursions, the fact remains that there are confidence-building efforts underway, aimed at precisely avoiding any miscalculated event on the Line of Actual Control amid growing misperceptions. A hotline between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is in the process of being set up, and more recently the Eastern Army Commander, who is in charge of the Arunachal Pradesh segment of the LAC, went on a week-long trip to China along with senior commanders in the Central and Northern Commands who directly oversee military deployment across the entire LAC.

They visited Tibet and were even shown an airbase in the Chengdu region to which no foreign official had so far been provided access. By all accounts, Beijing is not keen on escalating tensions on the LAC beyond manageable limits. After all, this is not 1962 and the stakes for China are much higher than before as it aspires to consolidate its bid for superpowerhood after the global financial crisis. Yet, the LAC serves an important function in Chinese strategy towards India which is more complicated than is often made out to be.

... contd.