LHUNZE WAS IN THE NEWS WHEN PRESIDENT XI URGED TIBETAN HERDSMEN ALONG THE ARUNACHAL BORDER TO “SET DOWN ROOTS” AND SAFEGUARD “CHINESE TERRITORY”.

BEIJING: China on Monday defended large-scale mining operations in the Himalayas close to the Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh to extract minerals worth billions of dollars, saying it has “full sovereignty” to carry out “geological” activities in the region.

China has begun the operations in Lhunze county of the Tibet Autonomous Region, next to Arunachal Pradesh, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Sunday.

The report said a huge cache of gold, silver and other precious minerals valued at about $60 billion has been found in the remote and ecologically fragile area.

“I have also noted the report mentioned by you. The area mentioned by the report totally belongs to China,” foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang told a regular news briefing.

“China conducts regular geological and scientific research on its own territory. It is completely within China’s sovereignty. China always attaches importance to protecting the ecological environment. We hope relevant media can refrain from hyping up based on groundless report,” Lu said. Quoting its sources, the Post reported that “the mines are part of an ambitious plan by Beijing to reclaim South Tibet, a sizeable chunk of disputed territory currently under Indian control”.

It added that “China’s moves to lay claim to the region’s natural resources while rapidly building up infrastructure could turn it into ‘another South China Sea’”.

Spokesperson Lu didn’t directly deny the report but seemingly dismissed the insinuation about reclaiming South Tibet, which is how Arunachal Pradesh is known in China.

Lu said: “I hope the media can stop hyping up based on groundless report, and the area mentioned by the report belongs to China’s territory and the geological and scientific activities are conducted on China’s territory.”

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet and this claim is part of the bilateral dispute over 3,488 km along the Line of Actual Control.

Referring to the part of the Post’s report that said China is rapidly building infrastructure to turn the area into another South China Sea, Lu said, “I can tell you that China’s position on the Indiachina

boundary is consistent and clear cut. China never recognised the so-called Arunachal Pradesh.”

Sutirtho Patranobis spatranobis@hindustantimes.com

Courtesy: Hindustan Times :22 May 2018