India expansionist, occupied Tawang: Chinese state media

Beijing: Accusing India of “expansionism”, the Chinese state media claimed on Thursday that New Delhi “occupied” Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and warned Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama against selling China’s sovereignty.

An article titled ‘Tawang’s history affirms China’s sovereignty’ in the Global Times alleged that “India has pursued expansionism” since gaining independence in 1947.

“Influenced by the British, India sent troops to the north, beyond the traditional customary border between China and India,” said the article written by Jia Liang of the Centre for Tibetan Studies of Sichuan University.

The new piece is part of a number of critical articles Chinese state media organisations have published since the Dalai Lama began his visit to Arunachal Pradesh on April 4.

China considers parts of Arunachal Pradesh as “Southern Tibet” and is opposed to visits by the 81-year-old Nobel laureate or foreign diplomats to the region. Tawang, in northern Arunachal Pradesh, is believed to be the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama in 1683 and is at the centre of the Tibetan Buddhism, which makes China wary of the influence of the 14th Dalai Lama, whom it considers a “dangerous separatist”. The Dalai Lama should refrain from promoting any illusion about ‘Tibetan independence’.” And, it said, if the Dalai Lama continued to support calls for Tibet independece he will “meet his Waterloo”. (PTI)