According to New Delhi Television (NDTV) on the 6th, Indian officials claimed that several security agencies warned the Modi government. In mid-October, at least four leaders of anti-government organizations wanted by the Indian government trained and purchased weapons in the southern Chinese city of Kunming.
The report accused China of “supporting [Indian] rebels who have carried out multiple attacks on the India-Myanmar border in the past few months”.
According to the report, anonymous Indian officials said that Myanmar anti-government organizations, including the “United Army of the State” and the “Arakan Army”, acted as “agents for Beijing” to provide weapons and shelter for separatist groups in local states in northeast India.
According to the report, three of the four wanted rebel leaders of the Indian government are separatist insurgents in Nagaland, northeast India. During their stay in Kunming, “they have met with Chinese active and retired military personnel, as well as other intermediaries”.
The report mentioned that the increase in anti-government armed activities on the India-Myanmar border has aroused concern of the Indian government.
However, NDTV claimed that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs soon denied the statement of anonymous Indian officials. The media said that China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a written response to the issue that China does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, that “China has always maintained a cautious and responsible attitude towards arms exports” and that “only trades arms with sovereign countries, and will not sell weapons to non-state entities”.
In addition, NDTV reported that the “United States Army” also denied the allegations, saying that it “did not act as a proxy, intermediary or provide any assistance, support and cooperation between China and the rebels in India”, and called the accusation “groundless” and “we did nothing to harm the country (India)” .
The authenticity of Indian media reports involving China is often questioned. As for the rumor that “China supplies weapons to Indian rebels”, Western media such as the British Jane’s Intelligence Review have also hyped it before. A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry has refuted the statement as “unsubstantiated” and stressed that “China will not support any Indian anti-government armed forces”.
