Vice Premier Teng: We have done nothing new along the borders, and frankly we don't fear that India will attack our borders. We don't think they have the capability of attacking our borders. There was some very queer talk, some said that the reason why the Chinese Government issued that statement about Sikkim was that the Chinese were afraid after Sikkim that India would complete the encirclement of China. Well, in the first place, we never feel things like isolation or encirclement can ever matter very much with us. And particularly with India, it is not possible that India can do any encirclement of China. The most they can do is enter Chinese territory as far as the autonomous Republic of Tibet, Lhasa. And Lhasa can be of no strategic importance to India. The particualr characteristic of Lhasa is it has no air -- because the altitude is more than 3,000 meters. During the Long March we did cross the region of Tibet.
Secretary Kissinger: Really.
Vice Premier Teng: Not the Lhasa area, but the southern part. Our experience was that when we wanted to take one step further, we couldn't.
Secretary Kissinger: It is a very dangerous area for drinking mao tai. [Laughter]
Vice Premier Teng: Frankly, if Indian troops were able to reach Lhasa, we wouldn't be able to supply them enough air. [Laughter]
Secretary Kissinger: I don't think their intention is with respect to Tibet; their immediate intention is in Nepal.
Vice Premier Teng: That is correct. They have recently been exercising pressure on Nepal, refusing to supply them with oil. It is the dream of Nehru, inherited by his daughter, to have the whole South Asian subcontinent in their pocket.
Secretary Kissinger: And to have buffer zones around their border.
Vice Premier Teng: It is not necessary.
Secretary Kissinger: It is like British policy in the 19th Century. They always wanted Tibet demilitarized.
Vice Premier Teng: I believe even the British at that time didn't make a good estimate of whether there was enough air. [Laughter]
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