Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Foreign policy note - Ladakh

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is on a state visit to India. The visit follows a recent stand-off between India and China in disputed territory within Ladakh. This was resolved prior to the visit. The two countries fought a war in 1962 over the disputed territory.

The dispute and visit are a reminder of just how complicated Australia's immediate environment is becoming.

The 1962 war seemed relatively remote to Australians. There was also limited sympathy here for India at the time, despite fears of Chinese communism. Indian-Australian relations had unravelled in the period after independence. Now Australia cannot escape the complex evolving relationship between two of Asia's big powers.

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