Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 13

Even as India and China talk about maintaining peace along the disputed 3,488 km Line of Actual Control (LAC), the defecto border, Beijing has elevated the rank of its Military Commander who looks after Tibet, sending signals of increased military activity.The Military commander of Tibet will be now under the under the leadership of the People Liberation Army (PLA) and is likely to be a four-star general, one rank up from existing Lieut General-rank person heading it.Currently, the Tibet Military Command is under the leadership of China’s Western Theatre Command headquartered in Chengdu, Sichuan Province.China’s state-run newspaper the “Global Times” in a front page report today quoted the China Youth Daily as having said: “The Tibet Military Command’s political rank will be elevated one level higher than its counterpart provincial-level military commands, and will come under the leadership of the PLA Army… adding that the promotion marks a “new journey for the Tibet military command’s construction”.The Tibet Military Command is under the leadership of the PLA (China’s ground forces) which suggest that the command may undertake some kind of military combat mission in the future, Global Times said.“The promotion shows China is paying great attention to the Tibet Military Command, which will significantly improve the command’s ability to manage and control the region’s military resources, as well as provide better preparation for combat,” said a Beijing-based military expert.“After the military reform, the Tibet Military Command’s priority is the management of military resources, as well as the region’s national defence mobilisation,” he said, hinting at a threat to India.