Chinese recommend amiable monitoring instead of paranoid patrolling

CHINESE AUTHORITIES SHUT DOWN BORDER TRADE IN RESPONSE TO ARREST
GANGTOK, 12 Oct: Chinese authorities are viewing the arrest of one of their citizens by the Sikkim police rather seriously. In retaliation to the arrest the Chinese have shut down the border trade till further notice. They are also underlining that border trade is as much about dealing in goods as it is about allowing some basic courtesies to replace border paranoia. In this regard, they have invited the Indian authorities to consider how their counterparts in Tibet Autonomous Region attended to traders from Sikkim who had lost their way inside Tibet and proceeded beyond the trade mart. While they would have definitely been accused of ‘infiltration’ by ITBP and taken into custody, in TAR they were provided tea and snacks and escorted back to the border.
In Sikkim by contrast, a trader from Tibet was taken into custody on Wednesday and booked on charges of espionage for having taken photographs with his mobile phone even after being told not to by ITBP personnel.
In fact, so much umbrage has been taken that the Chinese Trade Officer, [known to traders here as Li Peng], reportedly came up to the Nathula border and demanded the release of the Chinese national, Langki Jiancen immediately by the Indian agencies. The Chinese Trade Officer is normally stationed at Rinchenquanng, the trade mart on the Tibetan side of the border.
She also reportedly reminded the Indian agencies of how the Chinese police had let go of two Sikkimese a few days ago after they had crossed well into the Tibetan Autonomous Region. As per reports two youth from West Sikkim had gone across to China after acquiring a trade pass and had missed Rinchenquanng and had reached another small town on the other side.
The Chinese police there had immediately apprehended them and after questioning let them go that day itself. They had even arranged for tea and snacks for the ‘runaways’.
The Chinese Trade Officer reminded the Indian agencies of this and demanded the release of the Chinese national as a quid pro quo. Till he is released, as the Chinese Trade Officer has stated, the gates of Nathula will remain shut.
On the other hand here the relatives of Langki, who has been charged for espionage under the Official Secrets Act, are preparing to approach the court for bail.