China and India: some Himalayan passes reopen

A recent agreement between China and India could signal the start of improving relations between the two countries.

Aldo Frezza

July 2003

A recent agreement between China and India could signal the start of improving relations between the two countries. According to the agreement, China officially recognises India's full jurisdiction over Sikkim, once an independent kingdom situated between Nepal and Bhutan, and under Indian jurisdiction since 1975.

The immediate result of this agreement is the reopening of the Nathu La border. Located at 4400m, this pass was once an important through route for traders travelling along the Silk Road from Tibet to Sikkim.

India, for its part, recognizes Tibet as an integral part of Chinese territory. And this is where the main question mark arises: is this agreement a new hurdle for the Dalai Lama and all the Tibetan refugees, who up until now have found in India a welcoming haven? Yes would seem to be the answer, according to the number of protest emails that reached the "Times of India" who first published the news. No would seem to be the answer according to Vajpayee, the Indian foreign minister who declared: "The Dalai Lama? I do not think that the question of him leaving India can be raised at this moment."

A cautious reaction has been put forward by the representatives of the Dalai Lama: "Vajpayee's visit to China will lead the way for dialogue between his Highness and the Chinese leadership."

Many organisations that support the cause of the Tibetan refugees see just cause for alarm, but Marco Vasta of the Italy-Tibet association dioes not seem too concerned. in a recent interview he stated that there may be some positive effects, above all commercial, that have so far never been officially recognised. Far more worrying is the politics of Chinese immigration into the region, which is resulting in the Tibetans becoming a minority. This situation will no doubt worsen with the construction of a railway line deep into the region. And it will no doubt worsen due to the growing tendency of other nations to abandon any form of protest out of fear of upsetting China which, as part of the WTO, has potentially become an immense market. And yet, China's entry into the world economy could result in increasing awareness and regard of civil rights, both for the Chinese and Tibetans who have long asked to be treated as an autonomous region.

Aldo Frezza

Photo: on the Tibetan plateau - ph Francesco Tremolada