The Self-Invited Guest

After awakening Asia's neutrals last year by its invasion of Tibet and its arrogant claims to territory all along Tibet's southern borders, Red China has been working overtime lately to put its neigh bors back to sleep. In January, Red China agreed to recognize the traditional (but never actually marked) McMahon Line as its common border with Burma. Last week Red China agreed to establish a joint committee to delineate with Nepal its boundary with Tibet. Until the committee completes its work, both nations agreed to "ensure tranquillity" by refraining from sending troops within 20 kilometers of the presumed border.

The Nepal agreement, signed in Peking at the close of a two-week state visit by anti-Communist Nepalese Premier B. P. Koirala. had the makings of a further Red Chinese penetration of the little Himalayan kingdom. A $21 million economic-aid agreement signed at the same time gave China the right, denied in a previous aid pact, to send in Chinese technicians. With Burma and Nepal thus tranquilized, Red China prepared to tackle its toughest border disagreement, i.e., with Jawaharlal Nehru's India. Much to the uneasiness of India's antiCommunists, New Delhi announced that Chou En-lai's April 19 visit to New Delhi to "talk about" the India-Red China border would not be the simple affair originally supposed. Instead. Chou will bring a staff of 25, and plans to stay a week. Already the Peking press was suggesting that, with the Nepal and Burmese borders so "smoothly settled," there was no reason why all other Asian disputes could not be as easily decided. Nehru has said that he is prepared to chat, but not to negotiate until the Red Chinese "vacate their aggression" on 51,000 sq. mi. claimed by India.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.