India, Pakistan and China
Indian-Chinese Crisis
Communist China warned India September 17 to "dismantle all its 56 military works for aggression on the Chinese side of the China-Sikkim boundary or on the boundary itself within 3 days" or "bear full responsibility for all the grave consequences." [See 1965 Indian-Pakistani War: China Accuses India]
The Chinese ultimatum, handed to the India charge d'affaires in Peiping, also demanded that New Delhi "immediately stop all its intrusions along the Sino-Indian boundary and the China-Sikkim boundary, return the kidnaped Chinese border inhabitants and their seized livestock and pledge to refrain from any more harassing raids across the boundary." China claimed there had been more than 300 Indian air and ground incursions into Chinese territory since the Sino-Indian border war in 1962.
Peiping's note denied Indian claims that part of ChineseSinkiangProvince and Tibet on the western borders were Indian territory illegally occupied by China.
Charging that India was "supported by United States imperialists and their partners," the note asserted that New Delhi "has always pursued a policy of chauvinism and expansionism towards its neighboring countries."
The Chinese message was in reply to notes of September 2 and 12 in which India had rejected Chinese border claims.
Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri announced in Parliament later September 17 that in reply to Peiping, New Delhi had offered joint inspection of the Sino-Indian border. In the meantime, Shastri said, "we hope that China will not take advantage of the present situation and attack India. But if they do we will fight for our freedom."
India was reported September 18 to have requested the resumption of U.S. military assistance in the event of a Chinese attack. Such aid had been suspended after the Indian-Pakistani fighting had erupted. After discussing the Chinese threat with State Secretary Dean Rusk in Washington September 18, Indian Ambassador-to-U.S. B. K. Nehru said: "I believe that all the nations of the world should come to the aid of a nation that is attacked if we are to defend international order."
On the expiration of the Chinese ultimatum September 19, Peiping extended the deadline for another 3 days until September 22. In setting the new time limit for the dismantling of India's alleged military installations on the Sikkim border, a Chinese note to New Delhi rejected Indian offers of joint border inspection. China repeated the demands made in its September 17 note and reiterated its frequent charge that India still occupied Chinese territory, including 35,000 square miles south of the McMahon Line, a frontier drawn up in 1914, which China did not recognize. Reaffirming its support of Pakistan in its dispute with India, the note said: "From their own experience the Chinese people can deeply understand how Pakistan has been bullied by the Indian government. The Indian government's expansionism has linked China with all other neighboring countries which India has been bullying."
China claimed these new Indian border violations: September 18-3 Indian soldiers allegedly crossed into China in the western border sector near the village of Demchok and "reconnoitered and harassed the area." September 19--Indian troops penetrated 2 1/2 miles into Chinese territory to Dumchele in the western region and fired on Chinese civilians.
Prime Minister Shastri reported to Parliament September 20 that Chinese troops had started firing at Indian soldiers in the Ladakh sector of Kashmir and in Sikkim. Charging that this action was a violation of Peiping's ultimatum deadline, Shastri said China had been "looking for some excuse to start aggressive activities again, this time in collusion with its ally Pakistan." Shastri denounced the extension of the Chinese ultimatum as "no more than a pretext to win time to watch what comes of the discussion in the Security Council" of the Indian-Pakistani war over Kashmir.
As for the military installations opposite Sikkim, Shastri asked why China did not tear them down. For India to dismantle them as Peiping demanded, Shastri said, would mean "our men going into their territory."
Communist China reported September 21 that Indian troops had retreated September 16-20 from 4 passes on the Tibet-Sikkim border after destroying frontier installations. The Chinese claim, as reported by Hsinhua, boasted that "faced with the concrete facts presented in the Chinese notes, India has resorted in the past few days to various methods to destroy the evidence of its crimes." It was not clear whether India's alleged action constituted compliance with China's ultimatum.
An Indian protest note to China September 21 charged that despite the extension of its ultimatum "Chinese forces have moved up along India's northern border and begun firing at Indian border posts in Sikkim and Ladakh." China, the note insisted, had "deliberately trumped up allegations of Indian intrusions and Indian structures in Chinese territory for providing an excuse for an attack on India."
The New Delhi protest said a 50-man Chinese patrol had intruded September 19 into Indian territory near a civil post at Tsasku, in Ladakh and fired on an Indian police patrol. The note said 3 of the policemen were still missing.