India concerned over Chinese equipment
India has concerns about Chinese telecom equipment near its sensitive border areas, which explains recent restrictions on imports, India's home secretary said in an interview broadcast yesterday.
Asked to comment on decisions to block sales of Chinese equipment to India, Indian Home Secretary GK Pillai said that the areas where restrictions applied were the disputed states of Jammu and Kashmir, and Arunachal Pradesh.
"All border areas are sensitive and where such equipment comes to be positioned in some of these areas, we have certain concerns," he told NDTV in an interview late on Monday.
He added, however, that the ministry's "very balanced policy" applied "equally to all countries" and was not directed against China.
During a weekend trip to China, India's Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh lambasted the home ministry for being "paranoid" and "alarmist" in its approach to Chinese investment, in comments that drew a rebuke from the prime minister.
North-western Jammu and Kashmir has been wracked by an anti-India insurgency since 1989 and is partly claimed by China.
North-eastern Arunachal Pradesh is also partly claimed by China and was the scene of a short war between the countries in 1962.
NDTV reported that the home secretary, the highest-ranking civil servant in the home ministry, was to hold talks with Chinese equipment manufacturers on Wednesday.
Comments