Guys, guys. Those who are saying that we are not allowing
Chinese delegates to come
because of US pressure are simply either sleeping or not following the news for past several months. If you remember carefully Lt. Gen. Jaswal was banned from coming to China and co-host what would have been our second joint military wargames with Chinese. ANd apart from that, the Indian delegation to weight lifting championships had an Arunachali and earlier in the Asian games had a Kashmiri origin Indian(s) who were given stapled visas.
What do you make of this? This delegation refusal was simply because of a tit for tat message. Nothing more. Nothing less. There is no US pressure and US is bringing its raptor on their own part with our consent to participate. We are not paying them and nor are they going to sell it to us. So they want to use the Raptor to show off their capabilities on their own accord. If China politically was our friend today like other countries without meddling in our problems, we would have invited them regardless of what US thinks.
Nothing would be better than having better ties between China and us but unfortunately their geo-political elements, loose border commanders and a rather shady and cold policy makes this difficult. If Kickok1975 had been CCP chairman, a lot could have changed.
You all know that no matter how much the Not-so-Singh and Co. love kissing US feet, there is a thing called opposition in India and judging by current unpopularity of ruling government over more than 2 dozen local issues, I don't think the GOI would want to bring in too much politics in an Air Show of all the places.
Iran was regarded as our friend and we have always had strong ties with them until now when Khamenei decided to get loose tongued about separatists/terrorists in the state of J&K and how "Muslims should help them". I am willing to understand that the man knows little about foreign policy since he and his clerics spend more time enforcing religion in their country than on tables of rational politics, but he being the current supreme leader of Iran means it becomes an international provocation. Hence the issue.
Now I am sure you all even if not aware of the above two, must know why Pakistan is not invited. Or should that be explained as well?
Kidding.