India gives up ‘Tibet Card’

[DharmaSpace]

India as a global superpower and leader in Asia, needs to mature up and not annoy China, which has taken its place amongst the world power. India can benefit so much by engaging with China in a sensible and mature manner.

India has shown much generosity to the Tibetans, when it can afford it. Now India does need to modernize rapidly and help its own people and economy. For that it is faster and simpler to have China as a close friend than a rival in the geopolitical sphere.
http://www.dorjeshugden.com/all-articles/india-gives-up-tibet-card/

[Rowntree]

Actually, there was no "Tibet card" to begin with. The "Tibet Cause" was a lost cause when Nehru decided to let Mao took over Tibet during the "Cultural Revolution". Giving asylum to the Tibetan refugees gives India a benevolent image while in fact it was done with political agenda. India believes that Tibet's independence is India's geopolitical security guarantee while holding onto the McMohan Line treaty hoping that this investment by hosting them will bear the results they wanted. Instead, it backfired.

India has been suffering from low employment rate and high inflation rate especially highlighted in the NaMo's administration. With the GE approaching in 2019, Modi has softened his approach with China obviously seen in the Doklam border dispute, later canceling the Tibetans' "Thank You Event" and shunning the Dalai Lama and the CTA. India gained over US$2.3 billion (Rs 150 billion) of trades after that.

The direction is clear, for India's benefits, it is necessary to drop the illusional Tibet Card and develop the country with a more mature and objective approach.

[dsnowlion]

Actually, there was no "Tibet card" to begin with. The "Tibet Cause" was a lost cause when Nehru decided to let Mao took over Tibet during the "Cultural Revolution". Giving asylum to the Tibetan refugees gives India a benevolent image while in fact it was done with political agenda. India believes that Tibet's independence is India's geopolitical security guarantee while holding onto the McMohan Line treaty hoping that this investment by hosting them will bear the results they wanted. Instead, it backfired.

India has been suffering from low employment rate and high inflation rate especially highlighted in the NaMo's administration. With the GE approaching in 2019, Modi has softened his approach with China obviously seen in the Doklam border dispute, later canceling the Tibetans' "Thank You Event" and shunning the Dalai Lama and the CTA. India gained over US$2.3 billion (Rs 150 billion) of trades after that.

The direction is clear, for India's benefits, it is necessary to drop the illusional Tibet Card and develop the country with a more mature and objective approach.

Well, I guess India is learning her lesson now from siding with Tibet all these year, which has brought them nowhere in terms of progress and development for the entire country and its people.

Yes I agree fully that siding with China now will help them prosper and that they should focus on this instead of a lost cause especially since the Dalai Lama himself has announced He wishes to return to China. So what is there left to protect, not forgetting he is the main Tibet card and he is NOT getting any younger.

[Celia]

Regardless of the existence of “Tibet Card” or if historically there was a basis for believing in playing with the “Tibet card”, the new reality is that with the Dalai Lama’s repeated statements of wanting to return to Tibet, it is redundant and even detrimental to continue to use Tibetans to provoke the Chinese leadership.

Further, with China becoming an economic powerhouse and also China’s improved foreign ties with so many other countries, it is pretty understandable for India to see no value in antagonising China and causing greater suspicion as well as mutual distrust between them by dragging in the Tibet issue. After all, India, like all other countries officially recognize Tibet as a part of China and hence, would not openly get involved in essentially, China’s internal strife with Tibet.

[Pema8]

It is good to see a new ear of collaboration between India and China!

India has moved forward and the CTA is anyway not helping India to move forward. Holding on to the Tibetans and the CTA is a huge burden for India!!


The one who reached out to China: On Atal Bihari Vajpayee

In the evolution of India-China ties, Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s contribution was seminal
India-China relations have come a long way from the period of enmity and bitterness that followed the 1962 war. True, they have not returned to the cheery days of Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai, but the maturity with which the leaders of both countries handled the Doklam crisis last year shows that the ties between New Delhi and Beijing are now based on a sound realisation that neither can ignore, much less antagonise, the other. Rather, comprehensive mutual cooperation between India and China is increasingly being seen as an imperative for peace, stability and progress in Asia and the world.

Change in attitude
In this evolution of India-China ties, one leader who made a seminal contribution was Atal Bihari Vajpayee. A politician in the non-dogmatic mould, Vajpayee was open to learning the lessons of history and, thus, revising his own views from the standpoint of India’s national interests. As a swayamsevak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Vajpayee’s views on Pakistan and China in the 1950s were quite negative. However, by the time he became the Minister of External Affairs in the Morarji Desai government, and particularly when he served as Prime Minister, Vajpayee was a changed man. He had come to firmly believe that for India to emerge as a major global power, it must normalise relations with Pakistan (which meant finding a permanent and amicable solution to the Kashmir dispute) and comprehensively improve relations with China (which meant resolving the vexed border problem in the spirit of mutual compromise).

Vajpayee’s visit to China in February 1979 ended the chill created by the 1962 war. It was the first high-level political contact between the two countries after 17 long years. His ice-breaking meeting with Deng Xiaoping, then China’s paramount leader, started a new chapter in India-China relations that has continued till date.

In a tribute to Deng on his birth centenary in 2004, Vajpayee recalled: “I have pleasant memories of my meeting with Deng Xiaoping. The unfortunate military conflict in 1962, caused by the border dispute, had left a scar on the centuries-old affinity between the two great nations of Asia and the world. I called on him in the Great Hall of People in February 1979. I must say that the genuine warmth with which Deng Xiaoping received me — I too reciprocated that warmth in equal measure — helped in overcoming the psychological barrier and looking forward with optimism to a positive new chapter in our bilateral relations.”

Deng told Vajpayee: “We do have some issues on which we are far apart. We should put those on the side for the moment and do some actual work to improve the climate to go about the problem. Our two countries are the two most populous countries in the world, and we are both Asian countries. How can we not be friends?”

The creative solution that Vajpayee and Deng discussed to resolve the vexed border dispute was, in a nutshell, this: Do not let normalisation of bilateral relations become a hostage to the resolution of the border dispute. Develop bilateral relations in an all-round manner. Simultaneously, try to resolve the border dispute through dialogue and by ruling out the use of force to change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

In December 1982, when a delegation from the Indian Council of Social Sciences Research called on him in Beijing, Deng referred to his meeting with Vajpayee and reiterated his pragmatic view on the border problem: “When I met your former foreign minister in 1979, I put forward a ‘package solution’ to the problem. If both countries make some concessions, it will be settled... The problem between China and India is not a serious one... The problem we have is simply about the border. Both countries should make an effort to restore the friendship that existed between them in the 1950s. As long as we go about it in a reasonable way, I think it will be easy for us to settle our border question. Because this question has a long history, you have to take into account the feelings of your people, and we also have to take into account the feelings of our people. But if the two sides agree to the ‘package solution’, they should be able to convince their people.”

The next major milestone in India-China rapprochement was Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s visit to China in December 1988. Deng told Gandhi, “Welcome... my young friend. Starting with your visit, we will restore our relations as friends. There was unpleasantness at each other. Let’s forget it. We should look forward. Do you agree with me?” Gandhi responded: “Yes.”

A different China
Vajpayee’s visit to China in June 2003, when I had the honour of accompanying him, witnessed a big breakthrough in bilateral relations. The China he saw this time was very different from what he had seen in 1979. Nowhere was this difference more striking than in the Shanghai skyline. Vajpayee and his delegation went on a boat ride along River Huangpu and what we saw on Pudong district, facing the historic Bund on the other side of the river, were glistening skyscrapers.

During this visit, India recognised for the first time that the “Tibet Autonomous Region is an integral part of the People’s Republic of China”. Some foreign policy experts, including some serving diplomats, were not in favour of this recognition. They felt it would prevent India from using the “Tibet Card” against China. But the realist in Vajpayee was convinced that his decision, apart from being in line with the unchangeable situation on the ground, was a helpful step towards improving bilateral relations. On its part, the Chinese side recognised Sikkim as a State of the Indian Union. The visit also saw an important breakthrough in trade relations — bilateral trade started rising rapidly thereafter.

An important upshot of the visit was the decision to fast-track the talks on the border dispute by initiating the framework of Special Representatives of the two Prime Ministers driving the dialogue. Accordingly, Vajpayee’s trusted National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra and China’s State Councillor Dai Bingguo were appointed as the two special representatives. Vajpayee and Premier Wen Jiabao also agreed that the joint work on the clarification of the LAC should continue smoothly, which helped in maintaining peace along the LAC. After Vajpayee’s demise, Wen Jiabao sent a heartfelt condolence, calling Vajpayee an “outstanding politician”.

I met Mr. Dai in Beijing last year. He said, “Mr. Vajpayee was a leader with a vision and strategic thinking. He did not want the past to determine the present. He started a new era of cooperation in India-China relations. He had an open mind on the border issue and wanted it to be resolved soon on the basis of give-and-take. I was very hopeful about making progress.” He added: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi belongs to the same party as Mr. Vajpayee. He has an opportunity to become a New Vajpayee.” How true!

https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-one-who-reached-out-to-china/article24918999.ece

[Alex]

It's about time for India to drop the Tibet card. Tibet card is no longer useful for them since now that India wants to be friends with China. There are many instances that we can see that India is prioritizing their relationship with China over Tibetans. One of it will be the downsizing of the Thank you India event organized by Tibetans. It is a huge slap across CTA's face and the message is loud and clear.

[Tracy]

Tibet card is a lost card, whoever plays that card will be at the losing end. China is becoming more powerful each day in terms of economy, military, and technology. They are becoming the big brother of Asia region. The next one will be India.

I don't think India wants to go against China, it will be damaging to their economy. It will be wiser to work with China so it is a win-win situation for both. I personally think they should establish a better relationship to strengthen Asia's position. Historically, Asians are seen lower than the west and the west have taken a lot of advantage on us, it is time we work together to defend our right and pride.

The Tibetans leadership is pro-western countries, they are supported financially by the west. For their own interest, they will jeopardise Asia. For the past 60 years, all they do is condemning how bad China is. So why does India still want to support the Tibetans? India has helped the Tibetans so much but there is no gratitude shown, it is not worthy to help the Tibetans anymore.

[PrajNa]

India is not going against China, but this Tibet Card is still very useful. I think the info below may give more insight into how Tibet Card has changed, but still it is useful.

India is using rumors that the Dalai Lama is in poor health to build a more conciliatory relationship with China. In April, during an informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan, China, Modi tried to portray the India-China relationship as improved.

During the meeting, "Modi apprised President Xi of the Dalai Lama's health and the Indian position on Tibet after his death," a government source said. "This information from Modi took Xi by surprise, and the two discussed the issue for a long time at the Wuhan summit."

When the leaders met in 2015 and 2016, they informally discussed a proposal for India to stop accepting new Tibetan exiles after the death of the Dalai Lama in return for China withdrawing its territorial claim on some parts of northern India.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-Relations/India-uses-rumor-of-Dalai-Lama-s-ill-health-to-mend-China-ties

[Alex]

India is not going against China, but this Tibet Card is still very useful. I think the info below may give more insight into how Tibet Card has changed, but still it is useful.

India is using rumors that the Dalai Lama is in poor health to build a more conciliatory relationship with China. In April, during an informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Wuhan, China, Modi tried to portray the India-China relationship as improved.

During the meeting, "Modi apprised President Xi of the Dalai Lama's health and the Indian position on Tibet after his death," a government source said. "This information from Modi took Xi by surprise, and the two discussed the issue for a long time at the Wuhan summit."

When the leaders met in 2015 and 2016, they informally discussed a proposal for India to stop accepting new Tibetan exiles after the death of the Dalai Lama in return for China withdrawing its territorial claim on some parts of northern India.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-Relations/India-uses-rumor-of-Dalai-Lama-s-ill-health-to-mend-China-ties

Seems like the Tibet card is not only useful for provoking China, it is equally useful in making China happy.
Either way, Tibetans is just someone to be used in the political scene all because their government is useless and failed to protect their own citizens. So much help had been given to them for 60 years now and yet they can't even talk to China. No wonder Tibet can be taken over so easily even though it is much bigger compared to Nepal and Bhutan. The government is just not capable and too corrupted.

[SabS]

As Alex mentioned, the Tibet Card is useful in provoking or making China happy depending on the needs as India cleverly plays it. However, with the trend of India getting on good terms with China, I think India is already moving towards dissolving the Tibet Card issue. As seen recently, India has made it easier for the exiled Tibetans to apply for Indian citizenship. As more and more desperate Tibetans pick up Indian citizenships, especially if the Dalai Lama goes back to Tibet, then there will be very little exiles left in the Tibetan refugee camps. As such, India may easily reallocate the Tibetan refugees to lesser number of camps which frees up precious land for their own people. India may even start to charge rental for the land that the Tibetan refugees stay on and if India really want to be rid of the problem, may impose other regulations to force the Tibetans to consider either taking up the Indian citizenship or move to another country. Then there won't be anymore hindrance to India's advantageous relationship with China. Wow, that's a load of the shoulders!

[Rowntree]

Since the Indian officials were told not to attend events run by the CTA and spread the Dalai Lama's health to make Chinese happy, it is very clear that they have decided to not use the Tibet card anymore. The Tibetans have less value in their bilateral ties with the Chinese. Although it may still be a concern that the Dalai Lama is hosted by the Indian government, the Chinese decided to use a different approach by exploiting her soft power for espionage activities under the cover of legitimate activities all over India. This way, they get to check on the Tibetans with almost no efforts. China sure has an upper hand between the two nations.

China’s Confucius Institute on India’s covert agencies’ radar

Monday, 15 October 2018 | Rakesh K Singh | New Delhi

The role of China’s Confucius Institute, which is overtly an intellectual institution, has now come under the scanner of the Indian covert agencies, which suspect that the institute is exploited by Beijing worldwide for Intelligence gathering. The establishment of one Confucius Institute centre in Mumbai University and efforts at setting up similar centres in Vellore, Sulur, Coimbatore and Kolkata has sent alarm bells ringing in the Intelligence community here.

The Chinese agencies’ efforts through Chinese businessmen to gain access to decision making levels in Indian establishments have also emerged as another area of concern, a senior Intelligence official said. Amid China’s growing geopolitical ambition, the Indian Intelligence agencies are apprehending aggressive Intelligence gathering by Bejing.

The agencies are keeping a watch on the MoUs signed with Indian universities /colleges, student exchange programmes and attempts to manipulate the post-Dalai Lama situation in their favour. China has reportedly sought the custody of the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje from Washington. Karmapa Ogyen Trinley Dorje deceitfully exited from India to the US in April last year.

Karmapa is the second most important leader in the Tibetan Buddhism hierarchy after Dalai Lama. China already has taken custody of another key Tibetan Buddhist leader Panchen Lama.

Union Home Ministry sources said Home Minister Rajnath Singh is seized of the threats emanating from Chinese penetration in Indian educational institutions and has sought a strategy to be put in place to deal with the challenge. 

The Intelligence agencies have advised the States to keep a watch on the Chinese activities and inform the Central agencies for collation of data and remedial action.

“The modus operandi of the Chinese Intelligence gathering apparatus globally is using amateurs and its expatriate community settled worldwide which is not only a big challenge to detect but also difficult to prove in a court of law. China is the most active nation involved in cyber espionage with formidable capabilities,” an Intelligence official said.

The Chinese intelligence agencies are also known to be different from their counterparts in US and Russia wherein Beijing exploits its soft power for espionage activities under the cover of legitimate activities.

Notably, China indulges in intelligence gathering through academics and scholars, business people and Intelligence operatives under official cover of diplomats, defence attaches and journalists, another official said.

India and China share a complicated relationship due to the lack of delineation of India-China boundary, lack of clarification of the Line of Actual Control, Beijing’s concern about presence of the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso in India and New Delhi’s concerns regarding post-Dalai Lama scenario.

The relationship is further complicated by Chinese support to Northeastern insurgent groups, increased Chinese interest in the Indian Ocean Region and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC, a part of BRI) which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and growing Chinese influence in India’s neighbourhood especially Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Maldives, added the official.

https://www.dailypioneer.com/2018/india/china---s-confucius-institute-on-india---s-covert-agencies----radar.html

[SabS]

Lol! Just reading about the resourcefulness of China really brings a smile to my face. Its amazing how China could just reach their tendrils into every fabric of society. Yes I would agree that the Tibetan card is actually no longer useful as China has grown in power enough to nullify any advantage that the Tibetan card used to offer. However, from China's point of view, I would think that having the Dalai Lama in China would be most useful since they have that intention of recognising the 15th Dalai Lama in the future. It would lend a better credence in their recognition, especially since the 11th Panchen Lama is already within China. So I would think China should be a bit more lenient towards allowing the Dalai Lama back in. However, its a different story for CTA. Definitely No! to them. Good riddance to CTA cos they will fall further into the abyss once the Dalai Lama is gone.

[Tracy]

The US and Europe are still keen on using the Tibet card. Why do you think these countries give so much money to the CTA? They are not helping them because of the human rights issue, they are doing it for political reason. If these countries are so into the human rights issue, why are they not putting in the same effort to help the Syrians or the Rohingya?

The CTA also understands that therefore they are doing all they can to irk China, to create problems for them. India is nothing the CTA. Instead of showing gratitude to Indian, the CTA is creating more problems for them. So what is the point to still protect or shelter the Tibetans?

China is developing so fast, it has become the most powerful economy in Asia. The One Belt One Road Initiative started by China is going to bring a Win-Win situation to the countries that are participating in the project. China wants more money but their strategy is quite clever, they want the participating countries to be successful as well. So India should work with China, there is no need to protect the Tibetans anymore.

[SabS]

The US and Europe are still keen on using the Tibet card. Why do you think these countries give so much money to the CTA? They are not helping them because of the human rights issue, they are doing it for political reason. If these countries are so into the human rights issue, why are they not putting in the same effort to help the Syrians or the Rohingya?

The CTA also understands that therefore they are doing all they can to irk China, to create problems for them. India is nothing the CTA. Instead of showing gratitude to Indian, the CTA is creating more problems for them. So what is the point to still protect or shelter the Tibetans?

China is developing so fast, it has become the most powerful economy in Asia. The One Belt One Road Initiative started by China is going to bring a Win-Win situation to the countries that are participating in the project. China wants more money but their strategy is quite clever, they want the participating countries to be successful as well. So India should work with China, there is no need to protect the Tibetans anymore.

Well, China doesn't seem to care less now that they are powerful and in a favourable position. Which means that the Tibet card is no longer as valuable. This can be seen in the corresponding drop in sponsorships. Yet CTA never learn to be humble and take care of their sponsor, India who had been so kind to them. Instead they create all sorted of problems for their host. CTA really lives in her own clouds, not knowing the sentiments of the Tibetans under Chinese law is already living it good as compared to yonder years. Now they have HOPE. So why would they want CTA back?

[Alex]

The US and Europe are still keen on using the Tibet card. Why do you think these countries give so much money to the CTA? They are not helping them because of the human rights issue, they are doing it for political reason. If these countries are so into the human rights issue, why are they not putting in the same effort to help the Syrians or the Rohingya?

The CTA also understands that therefore they are doing all they can to irk China, to create problems for them. India is nothing the CTA. Instead of showing gratitude to Indian, the CTA is creating more problems for them. So what is the point to still protect or shelter the Tibetans?

China is developing so fast, it has become the most powerful economy in Asia. The One Belt One Road Initiative started by China is going to bring a Win-Win situation to the countries that are participating in the project. China wants more money but their strategy is quite clever, they want the participating countries to be successful as well. So India should work with China, there is no need to protect the Tibetans anymore.

Tibetans are getting less donation nowadays. China's influence is global and even western countries will start to get into China's good books. Last time, whenever His Holiness the Dalai Lama officially visits a country, a representative from the country will meet up with His Holiness. However, the Swiss government did not meet up with His Holiness during his visit to Switzerland recently.

This can only mean 2 things. Either they are no longer interested in maintaining a good relationship with them or they are afraid of China's consequences if they get close to the Tibetans. Either way, Tibetans will face alot more cold shoulders compared to last time. They will not have the same hospitality from before.

No country in the world is genuine in helping the Tibetans in the first place. They are using the Tibet issue to irk Chinese and make sure the Chinese will have a bad reputation in handling human rights issue. They hope to be able to slow down China's growth by using the Tibet card against them. Unfortunately, China is able to break through that and emerge as one of the fastest growing countries in the world.