Standing the ground

General Studies Paper 2

Context

• According to officials, the latest round of border talks between India and China did not lead to any solution
• As, more than three years and three months have passed since the border standoff started in eastern Ladakh but concluding result is achieved.

Background of India China Border Dispute

• Western Sector
• India and China share a 2152-kilometre-long border in the western sector. It is located between the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir and the Chinese province of Xinjiang.
• There is a territorial dispute in this sector over Aksai Chin.
• Middle Sector
• In this sector, India and China share a 625-kilometre-long border that runs from Ladakh to Nepal.
• In this sector, the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand touch the border with Tibet (China). In this area, there is little disagreement between the two sides

Eastern Sector

• In the eastern sector, India shares a 1140km boundary with China. The boundary line is called McMahon Line runs from the eastern limit of Bhutan to a point near the Talu Pass at the trijunction of Tibet, India, and Myanmar.
• The majority of the territory of Arunachal Pradesh is claimed by China as a part of Southern Tibet.

India’s counter against China to safeguard its international border

• Tension along the border led to an unprecedented buildup of troops on both sides.
• Over the last three years, the Indian Air Force is estimated to have airlifted nearly 70,000 troops and heavy platforms including tanks, artillery guns weighing over 9,000 tonnes as part of efforts towards enhancing the overall operational preparedness in eastern Ladakh.
• The government has built infrastructure in the border areas over the last nine years, which has led to faster deployment of forces since the standoff.

India’s stand over China’s aggression along LAC

• India has made it clear so far that the border standoff affects bilateral relations, and only a complete de-escalation will lead to normalcy in the ties.
• However, disengagement at the specific friction points can be achieved, a broader de-escalation will take time. That is because troops and equipment will take time to be moved from the border areas.
• In that sense, this standoff is more complicated than the recent ones in the last 10 years. It is similar to the Sumdorong Chu standoff in 1986-87, which took almost seven years to completely disengage and de-escalate.

International institutions provide platform for discussion to deescalate the forces

• As in 2017, the two-and-half month Doklam border standoff was resolved just days before Modi and Xi met in Xiamen for the BRICS leaders’ summit and three-week-long 2013 standoff in Depsang was resolved weeks before then Chinese Premier Wen Jaibao was visiting India.
• The window of opportunity exists between now and Chinese President Xi’s visit to India for the G20 summit.
• There could also be a breakthrough before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in Johannesburg for the BRICS leaders’ summit on August 22-23.

Conclusion

• India must not budge and demand complete withdrawal of troops and de-escalation, before it normalises ties. Xi’s visit next month gives India some leverage; the government must use it.