India would be unwise to get involved in two conflicts at once: expert
China's embassy in New Delhi has asked Chinese people in India to "strengthen self-protection" in a travel notice it released amid a fermenting military standoff on the border.
The tension between China and India caused by Indian troops' trespass in Chinese territory in Doklam has not shown signs of easing. Indian troops crossed the border, entering Chinese territory in Doklam on June 26, and are yet to retreat to their own side.
The Chinese embassy on Friday released a notice on its website, urging "all Chinese citizens in India and those who are going to visit India to pay close attention to the local security situation and strengthen self-protection."
"Reduce unnecessary travel to India, and leave travel information with family members, colleagues and friends. Keep a low profile, and respect the local laws and law-enforcement personnel," the notice reads.
"Although there hasn't been nationalistic behavior among the Indian public against Chinese citizens so far, Indian government law-enforcement of Chinese companies may become stricter," said Lin Minwang, a professor at the Center for South Asian Studies of Fudan University.
The current tension makes India an unsuitable destination for Chinese to travel or do business in, which is why the Chinese embassy in India warns that the situation has already had an impact on normal exchanges between the two countries, Hu Zhiyong, a research fellow at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.
However, China has denied that it curbed cultural exchanges between scholars of the two countries.
The Hindu reported that the India Foundation, a think tank associated with the ruling party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claimed that China had denied visas to its academic delegation.
The report was refuted by the Chinese embassy. Counselor Xie Liyan of the Chinese Embassy in India said on Saturday that "As far as I know, all seven members of the India Foundation delegation that were scheduled to visit China got their visas on time. No visa application was denied."
In fact, their visas were issued quicker than usual, Professor Zhang Jiadong, director of the Center for South Asian Studies of Fudan University, which invited the India Foundation researchers, told the Global Times.
There is no problem with visa issuance for Indian scholars, especially with the help of both the Chinese embassy and India's ministry of external affairs, Zhang said. "We don't understand why the India Foundation and Indian media spread such a rumor."
Two conflicts
Aside from the border spat with China, India is embroiled with Pakistan over an exchange of fire at the Kashmir border.
Both India and Pakistan accused each other of initiating the incident on Saturday that caused civilian deaths on both sides of their controlled border in Kashmir, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
"The violence occurred as hundreds of militants and political activists took to the streets in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir to commemorate the death of Burhan Wani (a Pakistani military commander)," The Hindustan Times reported.
However, Pakistan announced that it was India who attacked Pakistani civilians first and then the Pakistani military fired back.
The Pakistan army said earlier that at least two civilians were killed from Indian shooting along the Line of Control dividing Kashmir. Director General of the South Asian Desk at the Pakistani foreign ministry Mohammad Faisal summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh and condemned the cease-fire violation by Indian forces in Chirikot and Satwal Sectors on Saturday, the Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement, Xinhua reported.
Lin said that there are frequent conflicts and military scuffles between the areas of Kashmir controlled by the two sides. China has nothing to do with the situation in Kashmir, but it would be unwise for India to engage in two conflicts at the same time, he said.
