File picture of Defence Minister AK Antony
A week after the Chinese Army withdrew from Raki Nalla in north Ladakh ending a 21-day face-off between the two neighbours, Defence Minister A K Antony said India would continue to upgrade its infrastructure and capabilities along the border with China. Despite Beijing's protests.
But he also said that the two countries would continue negotiations to find a solution to border issues. Mr Antony said the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement proposed by China had been discussed during External Affairs Minister Salam Khurshid's visit earlier this week to China. He said he did not "have the details yet."
The Defence Minister was speaking to reporters after commissioning the first MiG- 29 K - supersonic fighter jets squadron into the Indian Navy at the INS Hansa in Goa.
On April 15, a Chinese platoon had set up camp about 19 km inside India territory. China insisted that it had not intruded into Indian territory and it took much diplomatic negotiations and some tough talk from India to finally convince Beijing to withdraw its troops. Among China's demands reportedly was that India stop developing infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control; many areas in that region are disputed territory.
In a clear and stern message to China, Mr Antony said today, "it is the right of every country to develop infrastructure in their area. As China has the right to increase, improve and strengthen and other facilities on its land, India has the right to develop its own infrastructure in its area. Over the years the IAF and Army have increased capability on our land and that process will continue."
The mild-mannered Mr Antony, who is known to preach and practice the middle path both in politics and when administering his crucial ministry, today also emphasised that India would police the sea-lanes of communication in the Indian Ocean region and beyond to protect its interests.
He also said that a territorial dispute in the South China Sea should be settled as per the provision of the United Nations Convention of the Sea of 1982. India is not party to the party to this dispute - China, Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia have overlapping claims here leading to tension. But it has two oil blocks (Blocks-127 ..128) in the Phu- Khanh basin in the South China Sea in the Vietnam Coast. India has claimed that these blocks are within the Exclusive Economic Zone of Vietnam, but China disputes this.