Beijing/New Delhi, Sep 2 (IANS) China has dismissed reports of the deployment of around 11,000 troops in the Gilgit area of Pakistan-controlled-Kashmir, saying they were fabricated stories designed to adversely impact Beijing’s ties with New Delhi.
‘We believe the attempts of some people to fabricate stories to provoke China-Pakistan or China-India relations are doomed to fail,’ said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu in a brief statement late Wednesday night, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
A report in the New York Times on Aug 28 said that China had deployed more than 10,000 troops in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan, stirring anxiety in New Delhi about China’s intentions. The NYT report linked the military presence to China’s plans to gain a ‘grip on the strategic area to ensure unfettered road and rail access to the Gulf through Pakistan.’
India took note of the report that came amid tension in its ties with China over the denial of visa to a senior army officer on grounds that his command included Jammu and Kashmir. This was seen by New Delhi as a ruse to question India’s sovereignty over the state, which is also claimed by Pakistan, considered an all-weather ally of Beijing.
India’s external affairs ministry has said it is trying to verify these reports independently. ‘If true, it would be a matter of serious concern and we would do all that is necessary to ensure the safety and security of the nation,’ the spokesperson of the ministry said in New Delhi Monday.
Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security Tuesday to review India-China relations and New Delhi’s option in dealing with what is seen as aggressive posturing by China on issues critical to India.
