India Permits American Ambassador To Visit Indian State of Arunachal Pradesh
In a move that completely ignores Chinese tantrums of the past, the US ambassador to India Kenneth Juster, has been given permission by India to visit to Tawang in Arunchal Pradesh, all of which is claimed by Beijing due to an unresolved border dispute between India and Tibet
“It is great to be in Tawang as the Chief Guest for the Tawang Festival. #USIndiaDosti,” said a Twitter post by Juster on Monday referring to the three day festival regarded the biggest event in the cultural calendar of Arunachal Pradesh that draws hundreds of tourists every year.
Earlier the Pema Khandu, chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh in a Twitter post said: “Welcome to Ambassador Mr. Kenneth I. Juster and Consul General Patti Hoffman for Tawang Festival.”
A similar visit by then US ambassador to India Richard Verma in 2016 had triggered a verbal spat between India and China with Beijing stating that it was firmly opposed to Verma’s visit. India had then brushed aside China’s objections calling it a “routine visit.” In case China protests again then this time then India must insist that we have borders only with Tibet and not with China and negotiations if any will be done accordingly.
China claims more than 90,000 sq km (35,000 sq miles) of Indian territory as its territory i.e. Arunachal Pradesh. According to China, Arunachal Pradesh is part of what it calls South Tibet. Disagreement between India and China over parts of their 3,500-km (2,175-mile) border led to a brief war in 1962. Since then, the two countries have moved to manage the dispute, but many rounds of talks have not yielded much progress.
India had permitted Verma to visit Arunachal Pradesh in 2016 right after China had blocked Maulana Masood Azhar listing as a terrorist under UN norms.
Ties between the two neighbours are currently seen as less prickly with two informal summits between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping taking place in 2018 and 2019 aiming to stabilise relations.
