India has active territorial dispute with China: Report

Singapore: India has an active territorial dispute with China and is unhappy about the Communist nation’s apparent efforts to stifle its ambitions in multilateral fora such as the UN and NSG, according to a report released at a defence forum here today.

The report, titled ‘Asia Pacific Regional Security Assessment 2017’ and released at the Shangri-La Dialogue, notes that India is increasingly worried about China’s build- up of military forces and infrastructure along the disputed Sino-Indian border.

New Delhi has also been unhappy about China’s apparent efforts to stifle Indian ambitions in multilateral fora such as the United Nations and Nuclear Suppliers Group, said the report prepared by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

“India has sought to improve its defence partnerships with the US, and several regional powers, based on shared concern about the rise of China,” it said.

The report states that Indian officials and analysts remain wary of any formal military alliances, as indicated by the fierce public debate and opposition by some Indian political parties to the ‘Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA)’, a logistics-service agreement that the US has signed with dozens of countries.

“Nevertheless, the most dramatic change in India’s foreign policy over the last two decades has been its energised relationship with Washington, and the prevailing security rationale for this change namely, a shared concern about China’s rising power,” said the report which pointed out the concern of Indo-Pacific countries about China’s economic and military rise.

India has an active territorial dispute with China, and is increasingly worried out China’s build-up of military forces and infrastructure along the disputed Sino-Indian border, it said.

The Shangri-La Dialogue is held annually by independent think tank International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in Singapore and is attended by defense ministers and heads of armed forces from Asia-Pacific nations. The current dialogue will take place from June 2-4.