Chinese media objects to deployment of BrahMos missile in Arunachal Pradesh

Beijing: India’s plans to deploy BrahMos supersonic missiles in Arunachal Pradesh along the border with China is a matter of “concern”, a state-run daily here said today.

Referring to the successful testing of 290 km range BrahMos supersonic cruise missile by India on Sunday, a report in the state-run Chinese edition of the Global Times said “the concern is because India has declared the deployment of three groups of these missiles to enhance deterrence” at the Sino-Arunachal Pradesh border.

China refers to Arunachal Pradesh as “Southern Tibet”. At the same time, the daily quoted analysts as saying that while China and India have developed military infrastructure at the frontiers, a war between the two nuclear states is not an option and the border posturing is a way to “find a compromise point.”

It also highlighted the Indo-Russian cooperation in developing the BrahMos missile which travels 2.8 times speed of sound with comprehensive guidance technology.

The new BrahMos regiment is equipped with the Block-III model which has wide angle plunging capacity and is capable of striking behind mountains, the daily said.

“The situation on the China-India border has caused anxiety to India and the intense media coverage frequently refers to a Chinese invasion,” it said.

Though, India has undertaken a USD four billion infrastructure development plan at the “Southern Tibet,” the “project is advancing slowly,” the daily claimed.

This is contrary to the pace of development on the Chinese side, which included Qinghai-Tibet railway, renovation of cable and communication networks “showing that the military preparedness is progressing well,” it said.

The article, highlighting the military preparedness on both sides, has come at a time when defence relations between both the countries have shown considerable improvement in recent months, with mutual high-level visits of officials.

Two Indian military delegations have visited China since last month.

A multi-command delegation, headed by a Major General, for the first time visited some Chinese military regiments in Tibet on July 11.

Also, Indian naval ships, which made a friendly visit to Shanghai, in June were given a warm reception by Chinese navy.