The India-China border situation has been a point of ongoing tension and conflict between the two countries. Here’s a brief overview of the current situation:
In June 2020, a deadly clash broke out between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley, which is located along the disputed border between the two countries. The clash resulted in the deaths of at least 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops.
Since then, both countries have deployed additional troops and military equipment along the border, raising tensions and concerns about a potential military escalation. There have also been reports of skirmishes and clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in other parts of the border region.
This comes a day after India told China that by violating the border agreements at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Beijing has “eroded” the fundamental basis of bilateral ties with New Delhi.
So far since the standoff began, Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged from the northern and southern banks of the Pangong Tso, Gogra and the Hot Springs, while tensions remain in Depsang Plains and Demchok.
The border between India and China is not clearly defined, and both countries have overlapping territorial claims in several areas. Negotiations to resolve the border disputes have been ongoing for several decades, but progress has been slow.
The recent border clashes and military build-up have further complicated the situation, and diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions have so far been unsuccessful. Both countries have called for the other to withdraw its troops from the border region, but neither side has shown willingness to do so.
Overall, the situation on the India-China border remains tense and uncertain, with the potential for further clashes and escalation.
Denying India’s demand for a return to status-quo ante that existed before April 2020, China Friday said India should promote the new border situation to a “normalised management”, a day after Beijing’s Defence Minister and State Councillor Gen. Li Shangfu held a bilateral meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. According to a statement issued Friday by the Ministry of National Defense of China, both Beijing and New Delhi should work towards enhancing “mutual trust” between both militaries.
“The two sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalized management. It is hoped that the two sides will work together to continuously enhance mutual trust between the two militaries and make proper contributions to the development of bilateral relations,” the statement said.
It also said currently the situation at the India-China border is “stable” even as both sides have continued to have a dialogue with each other at military as well as diplomatic levels.
Defence Minister Singh told his Chinese counterpart Li Thursday that all outstanding issues concerning the border between both countries will have to be settled on the basis of existing bilateral agreements and commitments.
India and China have five border pacts, dating back to 1993. These agreements are: 1993 Agreement on Maintenance of Peace and Tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control in the India-China Border Areas, 1996 Agreement on Confidence Building Measures in the Military Field along the LAC, 2005 Protocol on Modalities for the Implementation of the Confidence Building Measures in the Military Field along the LAC, 2012 Agreement on the Establishment of a Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs and 2013 Border Defence Cooperation Agreement.
