Fishing in troubled waters? Major General Luo Yuan needs to think twice about his statements

Sino - Indian border at Nathu La pass

“The Indian side should not provoke new problems and increase military deployment at the border areas and stir up new trouble,”... “India is the only country in the world that says that it is developing its military power because of China’s military threat,”...“So I believe that India should be very cautious in what it does and what it says.” - SCMP

Two statements mentioned above are from Luo Yuan who enjoys the rank of Major General and currently the deputy-director general of the world military research department at a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) academy.

According to him, India is the trouble maker and our deployments at Indo-Sino border are creating all the problems!!! What he unintentionally or intentionally forgot, is the situation in Chinese side of border and PLA’s deployment patterns. They created complete physical infrastructure required for rapid deployment of forces to border areas even from remote military bases; Infrastructure they are creating in the land (belongs to J & K) occupied by their all weather friend; recent intrusion of their troops to Indian territories, that also not one or two kilometres, which resulted in three week stand off. If India is building road and rail links in our side of border, to connect the remote villages to mainland, we are accused of trouble making!!!

Take a look at his second statement. Are we the only country? News coming out of East & South China Sea indicates something else.

Now, read his third statement. He is right, we should be cautious. In fact, I think we are. We are sometimes over cautious about Indo-Sino relationship - take a look at any of India's summit with Japan or US or Australia. We often don't take sides which make the Chinese uncomfortable. Isn't this rule applicable to him? Do he really need to release this statement when Indian Defence Minister is about to visit (first such trip in seven years) China? Does he have to say India is a trouble maker?

I think an official of his position should think about what he says and how others will perceive it. China which implements a strict framework for freedom of speech and internet policy, these type of statements will easily interpreted as the views of Chinese policy makers. If Chinese wants to test Indian waters first with a negative statement and then balancing the same with denial (after some time), I have to say it is wrong way test the mood.

Sajeev

References

1. Chinese general Luo Yuan warns India against ‘newtrouble’ - SCMP