FWIW I think both countries have corrupt politicians but India has gained from pakistan in the sense that
though both our looting our countries indias politicians are also selling the country, eg is giving china 640 sq km
and the defence minister in parliament in front of the P.M and the opposition telling half truths.
from India Times
Responding to furors over the National Security Advisory Board’s (NSAB) chairman Shyam Saran’s report allegedly suggesting loss of 640 sq km of Indian soil in eastern Ladakh to China, the defence minister made two significant statements. He denied that the report had stated anything about Chinese occupation of Indian territory in Ladakh. Secondly he categorically declared that “There is no question of India ceding any part of Indian Territory”. He might have been legally correct in his first statement but does his second statement reflect the true state in our borders with China?
In April the defence ministry confirmed to a Parliamentary panel that the Chinese had set up a temporary camp 19 km inside the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Depsang plains. After three weeks of confrontation India presumably agreed to demolish the bunkers it had built in the "Chumar" region and withdrew from its position to end the stalemate. Since these areas are an integral part of India, why India withdrew from its own territory is a mystery. With this, India seems to have lost its right to get back to the very same area and we cannot prevent China from asserting that India withdrew from these places since they were at fault and the area did not belong to them. On the contrary the Chinese were nowhere in the area prior to the incident but all along kept proclaiming "Our troops are patrolling on the Chinese side of the LAC and have never trespassed the line".
It is not without reason that the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which patrols the border with China had reportedly told the government in April that 640 sq km in Raki Nala in north-east Ladakh had been inaccessible to our troops because of a large incursion by the Chinese army. In these areas, domination patrols are meant to assert our rights over the area which we consider belong to us, in this case the areas up to the LAC. These patrols involve movement on foot for a number of days. The structures which we are talking about are perhaps locations meant for our patrols going up to the LAC to rest at night. With these structures having been removed, it obviously seems like the end of patrolling up to our claim line. This certainly weakens our position and territorial claims besides undermining the initiative of our Security Forces.
When a country loses its right to patrol the area which it considers its own, with the other side retaining its right to do so, does it not amount to loss of territory? If the situation continues this way, wouldn’t China claim these areas as its own? It may be recalled that China constructed the National Highway (National Highway G 219) connecting Yecheng (Xinjiang) and Lhatse (Tibet) (2086km) which passes through Aksai Chin commencing from 1951 and completed in 1957. The construction of the road was not known to the Indian government until the completion of the construction was announced in Chinese official newspaper in 1957. Without any semblance of our interest, presence or activity in the area, China laid claims on Aksai Chin (37244 sq km) after the 1962 war. Will this be repeated in Depsang?
China has invested enormous resources developing infrastructure in the Strategic Corridor bounded by Xinxiang in the North, Tibet in the East, Ladakh in the South and Pakistan in the West. The corridor includes areas within our side of the LAC in Ladakh as well as Gilgit – Baltistan which are a part of India and has been illegally occupied by Pakistan. Gilgit – Baltistan constitutes 86 % of the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (***). The strategic importance of this area can be gauged from the fact that this area opens up to the Gulf through Pakistan and Iran through Afghanistan. It is the gateway to the Central Asian Republics (CAR) and to South Asia. It provides a land route to Gwadar from Xinjiang thus reducing the travel time of commodities, especially oil from Gulf to the Eastern parts of China from about 20 to 25 days to about 48 hours. This area is of vital interest to India for various reasons.
The Chinese involvement in the whole of Pakistan occupied Kashmir and especially in Gilgit-Baltistan has been extravagant. China is involved in widening Karakoram Highway, the 165 km long Jaglot-Skardu road and the 135 km long Thakot-Sazin road. A rail link between the two countries linking Havelian with the Kunjerab Pass is also in the pipeline. The Chinese firms are also working on six other mega power projects in Gilgit-Baltistan that include hydro power projects at Dasu (US$ 7.8 billion), Phandar (US$ 70million), Bashu (US$ 40.01 million), Harpo (US$ 44.608 million) and Yulbo (US$ 6 billion). China is also investing an additional amount of US$ 300 million in housing and communication sectors.
China has constructed the western highway, also known as the Lhasa-Kashgar/Xinjiang Highway connecting Xinjiang to Tibet. From Quilanaldi, the road branches off to the Khunjerab Pass and, subsequently, becomes the Karakoram Highway right up to Gilgit. In pursuit of this project, China forced Pakistan to cede Sakshgam Valley, a part of India, in occupation by Pakistan (approximately 5160 sq km) in 1963. The development of this road beyond Shaksgam valley demanded the utilization of Gilgit – Baltistan. According to the western media this area has been leased to China for a period of 50 years by Pakistan. There are a number of other smaller roads like the motorable roads along Raki Nala (30 km) and along Jeevan Nala (20 km) on which investments have been made.
To get control of the Gwadar Port, it forced the Pakistan Government to terminate the 40 year contract which it had signed with the Port of Singapore Authority in Feb 2007. On 18 Feb 2013 Pakistan formally awarded a multi-billion dollars contract for construction and operation of Gwadar Port to China. Pakistan is now in the process of granting special status to Gwadar similar to Hong Kong. Pakistan has also inked a USD 18 billion deal with China to build a 200 km-long strategic tunnel to connect Pakistan's Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea and Kashghar in Xinjiang. A housing colony and a cemetery have been constructed by China in the area. It is estimated that China has already spent USD 30 billion and is expected to invest USD 30 billion more. These extravaganzas are obviously a quid pro quo for some anticipated good turn from Pakistan. What does Pakistan have to give to China? Terrorism? Obviously it is the Gilgit – Baltistan area under its control and unleashing of the terrorism arm in India at China’s service.
The question is, having invested so much will China walk away from these areas, especially the areas North of Ladakh and Gilgit – Baltistan? If not have we not tacitly kept watching while China was developing the infrastructure in these areas? Does this not amount to loss of territory?
At least now India should contest the funding of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam by the World Bank, IMF and other international funding agencies and bodies on the ground that the Dam is located in Gilgit – Baltistan, an integral part of India to assert our claim to that part of ***. A number of other measures also need to be initiated now to maintain our claim to these areas before it is too late.
