From the Times of India: the Ming Pao newspaper mistakenly reported that the Chinese government is prepared to give up Arunachal Pradesh in return for Aksai Chin:
China wants just 28 per cent of the 120,000 square kms of disputed area, it said. Beijing also wants New Delhi to concede 2,000 sq kms of territory that it now holds in the middle part of the disputed zone, which China regards as part of the Tibetan plateau besides allowing it to hold on to 33,000 sq kms of Aksai Chin, Ming Pao said. Going by this report, settlement of the border row is round the corner if India agreed to cede just 2,000 kms of territory.
The report has been strongly refuted by the Chinese foreign ministry, which described it as groundless. Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said China is willing to make joint efforts with India in the spirit of mutual understanding and accommodation to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the issue… The report gives some idea about Beijing’s desperation to hold on to the Aksai Chin area, which is connected to the troubled Xinjiang bordering Pakistan. Xinjiang, which recently saw bloody riots, has been the hotbed of a separatist movement seeking to create an independent East Turkmenistan nation.
Though Hong Kong newspapers enjoy a lot of press freedom as compared to the state-controlled media regime in mainland China, the Ming Pao report caused a good amount of embarrassment to Chinese authorities. Chinese officials usually give no hint of what is on their mind on sensitive issues including the border talks.
China wants just 28 per cent of the 120,000 square kms of disputed area, it said. Beijing also wants New Delhi to concede 2,000 sq kms of territory that it now holds in the middle part of the disputed zone, which China regards as part of the Tibetan plateau besides allowing it to hold on to 33,000 sq kms of Aksai Chin, Ming Pao said. Going by this report, settlement of the border row is round the corner if India agreed to cede just 2,000 kms of territory.The report has been strongly refuted by the Chinese foreign ministry, which described it as groundless. Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said China is willing to make joint efforts with India in the spirit of mutual understanding and accommodation to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the issue… The report gives some idea about Beijing’s desperation to hold on to the Aksai Chin area, which is connected to the troubled Xinjiang bordering Pakistan. Xinjiang, which recently saw bloody riots, has been the hotbed of a separatist movement seeking to create an independent East Turkmenistan nation.Though Hong Kong newspapers enjoy a lot of press freedom as compared to the state-controlled media regime in mainland China, the Ming Pao report caused a good amount of embarrassment to Chinese authorities. Chinese officials usually give no hint of what is on their mind on sensitive issues including the border talk
China wants just 28 per cent of the 120,000 square kms of disputed area, it said. Beijing also wants New Delhi to concede 2,000 sq kms of territory that it now holds in the middle part of the disputed zone, which China regards as part of the Tibetan plateau besides allowing it to hold on to 33,000 sq kms of Aksai Chin, Ming Pao said. Going by this report, settlement of the border row is round the corner if India agreed to cede just 2,000 kms of territoryThe report has been strongly refuted by the Chinese foreign ministry, which described it as groundless. Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said China is willing to make joint efforts with India in the spirit of mutual understanding and accommodation to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the issue… The report gives some idea about Beijing’s desperation to hold on to the Aksai Chin area, which is connected to the troubled Xinjiang bordering Pakistan. Xinjiang, which recently saw bloody riots, has been the hotbed of a separatist movement seeking to create an independent East Turkmenistan nation.See also past posts on the India border.
