CHINA-INDIA 3 LAST

"The lesson of the Sino-India border issue is that we did
not seize historic opportunities," Ma Dazheng, a researcher of
Chinese Borderland History and Geography Study Centre, Chinese
Academy of Social Sciences, a leading think-tank, said.

He noted that China's border issue with India includes
three sections of boundary lines. The eastern part concerning
90,000 square kilometres, most of which is currently
"occupied" by India.

"After the border war of 1962, the Chinese army retreated
20 kilometres and India seized the opportunity to move
millions of immigrants to the region and built cities," Ma was
quoted as saying.

The middle part is more than 2000 square kilometres,
taken by half of each other. The western part is around 40,000
square kilometres, linking with Kashmir. China has a very
important strategic Tibet highway in this region, Ma noted.

At the same time, Zhang Zhirong, Associate professor of
Institute of International Relations at Peking University
noted that as two major powers, if China and India fight with
each other, there will be no peaceful development for both.

"This is a big lesson for us to learn, especially for
India," Zhang said.

The Sino-India border issue is closely related to the
Tibet question, Zhang said, adding that the border tension
will bring "negative influence".

"India in the past considered Tibet as a buffer area
between the two countries, so they felt that acknowledging
Tibet as an independent country could win them border
benefits," he charged. PTI