China beefs up security on border with India ahead of Communist Party Congress

BEIJING: China has stepped up security on its border with India, North Korea and Myanmar ahead of the key Communist Party Congress next month.

The once-in-a-five-year meet is China's most important political event. The authorities would not like to risk any event which disrupts the meeting where Chinese President Xi Jinping will get a second five-year term.

China's border police will maintain the highest security on the country's frontiers with North Korea, India and Myanmar as the Communist Party gears up for its all-important Congress, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning said in a report.

"(We will) stick to the highest standards, strictest requirements and strongest measures to ensure absolute border security for the party's 19th national Congress," the report quoted an official statement as saying.

China has a long-running border dispute with India. The two countries have 3,488 km of de facto boundary, most of which is disputed.

Beijing and New Delhi last month ended an over two-month military stand-off in the Sikkim section along the Sino-India border.

China's northeast borders reclusive North Korea. The North Korean nuclear crisis has worried the world, especially its ally China.

Beijing fears an influx of refugees in case of a war between the US and the North.

China would not also want Myanmar's Rohingyas to cross over into Chinese border.

"The border forces under the People's Armed Police became the latest government agency to make a show of support for President Xi Jinping, saying officers would focus on the frontiers to ensure stability for the five-yearly gathering," the newspaper said.

They would also tighten monitoring of coastal areas and ramp up counter-terrorism work, the police were quoted as saying in a statement.

Security personnel have been out in force across the country to make sure the highly choreographed gathering is not disturbed by social unrest.