Or they want to be able to pose a credible threat to important places in China in order to prevent a repeat of 1962*... not an unreasonable concern, with the Chinese' current policy of pushing its neighbors over any territory which had ever been under Chinese control, and China's close ties with Pakistan.
If the 3rd (or is it the 4th... I've lost count) Indo-Pak war breaks out, India wants to be able to ensure that China stays out of the fighting.
* Remember, although India had built outposts in the disputed regions, and had been "pushing" the Chinese to "test their resolve", China initiated the major action in 1962.
Also, there were incidents as recent as 1987, and there are still territories where agreement has NOT been reached on just who owns the land.
Last edited by GreenKnight121; 3rd Nov 2012 at 09:27.