China a friend? Too early to say

New Delhi: Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that military preparedness is the best guarantee of peace with China.

In an exclusive interview with CNN-IBN, ahead of the reopening of the Nathula trade-post, he said there would be no lowering of guard on the Sino-Indian boundary.

On his return from Beijing earlier this month, Mukherjee declared that China is no longer a threat to India.

This was India's most dramatic declaration of improved ties with China, although changed perceptions of the Indian defence establishment have been officially reflected since 2001.

It was then that the Annual Report of the Ministry of Defence dropped references to China as a major long-term threat.

But now, ahead of the reopening of the Nathula border trading post after 44 years, the Defence Minister has indicated that there is not enough trust to allow the lowering of guard.

"Defence preparedness is the biggest guarantor to ensure peace and stability. Therefore, we need not necessarily be off-guard. We should remain alert and vigilant," Mukherjee said.

While India does not anticipate hostilities with China, the reflexes of the Defence establishment have not eased.

Mukherjee dismissed the idea of troop reduction as a corollary to the lowering of threat perceptions on China. In his assessment, that's an idea whose time has not yet come.

"It is too early to say so. There I would like to quote the Chinese Prime minister when I had a discussion with him. We suggested that we shall have to expand our relations step by step so that it becomes deeper," he added.

The Sino-Indian Memorandum of Understanding on military cooperation signed during Mukherjee's visit is aimed at ensuring that the border remains tension-free.

Border tranquility, the two sides hope, will propel the relationship forward. But perhaps, it's not time to say Hindi-Chini Bhai-Bhai again, just yet.

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