Delhi hits back after Beijing's snub to General

The discontent between India and China over issues relating to Jammu & Kashmir has reached a flashpoint with New Delhi calling off the visit of three Chinese army officers to the country this month and putting on hold all bilateral defence exchanges, barring the border personnel meeting. HT reports.

The discontent between India and China over issues relating to Jammu & Kashmir has reached a flashpoint with New Delhi calling off the visit of three Chinese army officers to the country this month and putting on hold all bilateral defence exchanges, barring the border personnel meeting (BPM).

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Chinese ambassador to India Zhang Yang was called to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in the backdrop of the escalating tension. The MEA though claimed the meeting had nothing to do with this.

The incident that fuelled the Indian action was Beijing's refusal to host one of the Indian Army's top commanders last month — northern army commander Lt Gen B S Jaswal, whose jurisdiction includes J&K.

Jaswal had visited China in September 2008 when he commanded Tezpur-based headquarters 4 Corps, whose operational responsibility spans Arunachal Pradesh — which China claims is its territory.

The row comes after months of relative calm and this latest tussle has J&K at its core, and not Arunachal.