China signals displeasure over India's claim to Arunachal

Over a week after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s maiden visit to Arunachal Pradesh, china has expressed its informal protest in Beijing. In its objection it is said that it was not proper to make such comment when the two countries were engaged to resolve their decades-old boundary dispute.

The protest comes over a week after Prime Minister’s maiden visit to Arunachal Pradesh, where Singh had said, “the sun kisses India first in Arunachal Pradesh and it is our land of the rising sun.” the message though was veiled but strong to China, who stakes territorial claim over parts of the state.

Sources said that Beijing annoyed over the Indian PM comment on the disputed territory and saw this as a signal from New Delhi to assert India's control of this territory bordering China. The Chinese claim that Arunachal is "disputed'' territory and will remain so, till any settlement regarding the border question.

There has however not come any official comment from Beijing on PM visit to Arunachal. As per the media reports an informal verbal protest was made by the junior Chinese official to the Indian embassy in China.

Meanwhile the Minister of External Affairs, Pranab Mukherjee in Mumbai said, “Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of our country. We are having regular representation in our Parliament, elected by people of Arunachal Pradesh. Therefore, it is quite obvious that the Prime Minister will visit any part of the country.”

The sources at minister of external affairs said that protest was made at junior level to the Indian embassy in Beijing and China has not made any official note yet.

Sources said that difference in perception exists and China has tried to show its unhappiness over the PM visit to the Arunachal and public comment when he said that like the sun, Arunachal would also rise from the east as a new star and become one of the best regions of the country.

Through its displaying of unhappiness, China wants to show that visit and remarks was improper at a time when the special representatives from two sides trying to evolve a common framework and still in the process of settling the border dispute.

In 1962, Chinese troops entered India through Tawang in Arunachal, which China wants to take control of due to political implications. The dispute is along the 3,600-km border, and particularly on Tawang. India’s stated position is that it will not agree to any solution, which disturbs the existing population on both sides of the Line of Actual Control.

The Prime Minister was on two-day developmental visit in Arunachal on January 31, 2008, soon after his visit to China.

This latest diplomatic comment clearly shows a hardening of positions on the border issue.