The Hindu: Published on 05 September 2025.
Why in News?
The India–China border dispute remains unresolved despite decades of negotiations. Although peace and tranquillity are currently emphasized, the historical complexity of how the border was drawn and contested continues to shape present-day geopolitics, particularly after incidents such as Doklam (2017) and Galwan (2020).
Background:
The border is a legacy of the British colonial maps (India’s reference point) and Manchu empire claims (China’s reference point).
The border runs through the Himalayas, largely unpopulated and imprecisely demarcated.
After independence, India assumed British-era maps were final, rejecting negotiations.
Aksai Chin: Claimed by India, but occupied by China after it built a strategic highway connecting Xinjiang with Tibet.
McMahon Line (1914): Defined the eastern sector (Arunachal Pradesh/Tawang), signed by Tibet and British India. China later rejected it, citing Tibet’s lack of sovereignty.
Key Issues:
Territorial Disputes:
Western Sector (Ladakh/Aksai Chin) – China controls Aksai Chin since 1950s.
Eastern Sector (Arunachal Pradesh/Tawang) – India controls but China claims it as “South Tibet.”
Failed Negotiations:
1959: China proposed a Line of Actual Control (LAC).
1960 Zhou Enlai’s swap proposal: China keeps Aksai Chin; India keeps Arunachal Pradesh. India refused.
1962 War: China defeated India, retained Aksai Chin but withdrew from most of Arunachal.
1980s–1985: Talks resumed, but China demanded Tawang, worsening the impasse.
Strategic Concerns:
Tibet’s control is central for China → Tawang monastery is a symbol of Tibetan Buddhism.
India fears loss of strategically important areas would weaken its Himalayan defence.
Military Stand-offs:
1967 (Nathu La & Cho La clashes in Sikkim).
1986 (Sumdorong Chu crisis – India’s Operation Falcon).
Recent episodes: Doklam (2017), Galwan Valley (2020).
Post-War Developments & Diplomacy:
1975: China Study Group mapped border; India increased patrolling.
1979: Vajpayee visited Beijing, initiating a thaw.
1988: Rajiv Gandhi’s visit marked normalization.
Both sides agreed: focus on peace and other cooperation first, boundary resolution later.
Established Joint Working Group (JWG) on border issues.
MUMA (Mutual Understanding and Mutual Accommodation): Deng Xiaoping’s formula for compromise.
Impact:
Strategic Balance: The unresolved border keeps India–China ties fragile, influencing military deployment and foreign policy choices.
Peace vs. Settlement: Both sides prioritize peace at the border but a final resolution remains elusive.
Geopolitical Factor: India’s ties with the U.S., Russia, and neighbours affect China’s calculations, and vice versa.
Domestic Politics: Both governments face nationalist pressures, making concessions politically difficult.
Present Context:
- Despite agreements for peace, periodic standoffs continue.
- The Line of Actual Control (LAC) remains undefined on maps, leading to patrol clashes.
- The priority for both is “peace and tranquillity”, but the core territorial issue is unresolved.
In summary:
The India–China border dispute is not just a territorial disagreement, but a historical, strategic, and political puzzle shaped by colonial legacies, Tibet’s status, and mutual mistrust. While both sides maintain peace to avoid war, a lasting settlement remains uncertain.
