India’s provocations on the border with China will destroy the foundation of mutual trust and undermine bilateral ties, a Chinese analyst said following India’s increased deployment of border troops.
“India keeps enhancing its military deployment along the border because it has never believed the border region will become peaceful,” Zhao Gancheng, director of the Center for Asia-Pacific Studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, told the Global Times on Monday.
“India thinks that border conflicts with China will eventually happen,” Zhao said.
India’s provocations will destroy mutual trust and aggravate the delicate regional situation, Zhao said.
The mutual military distrust will ultimately undermine Sino-Indian relations in all sectors including diplomacy, economy and cultural exchanges, he believed.
India has also stepped up infrastructure construction along the border with China including roads, airports and tunnels to transport military equipment, Zhao said.
India has deployed more troops and significantly increased patrols along the border with China’s Tibet Autonomous Region following the Doklam face-off, according to Indian media.
Indian military officials said India is also strengthening its surveillance of Chinese activities and has been regularly deploying helicopters to carry out reconnaissance.
To counter China’s increased “assertiveness” along the border, India has been focusing on treacherous terrain including river passes and snow-clad mountains over 17,000 feet (5,181 meters).
