INDIA-CHINA CONFLICT

 Indian Army and Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have confronted each

other once again in the latest border clashes near the Galwan valley in Eastern

Ladakh region. This clash occurred in May-June, 2020, three years after the

Doklam standoff between India and China in 2017. Both the sides faced casualties.

These were the first casualties faced by Indian Army in a clash at the

Indo-Chinese border since 1975. Though the Indian troops were armed but as per

the Indo-China Agreements of 1996 and 2005, there should not be use of fire

arms, guns, hazardous chemicals, explosives etc. within 2 km of Line of Actual

Control. These agreements state that two sides should resolve their disputes

through peaceful and friendly consultations.

The Issue in Depth

The Galwan valley, where the clashes primarily took place is located between

Ladakh in the West and Aksai Chin in the East. The Galwan river has its source

in Aksai Chin, on China’s side of LAC and it flows from the East to Ladakh

where it meets Shyok river. On India’s side of the LAC, Beijing is now claiming

the entire Galwan valley on its side of LAC and India has rejected the claim as

exaggerated and untenable. In the past, China has modified its earlier maps to

show that China has sovereign rights over the entire Galwan valley. Now, China

is unilaterally trying to alter the LAC, even when according to a 1993 agreement,

China has agreed to strictly respect and observe the LAC between two sides.

According to the 1993 Border Peace and Tranquility agreement, the two sides have

agreed to jointly check and determine the segments of LAC where they have

different views of the LAC. The other two regions where there have been clashes

include the hot springs area south of Galwan valley and Pangong Tso lake, further

South of the hot springs area in the Union Territory of Ladakh. These two

regions are strategically important. The Pangong Tso is a landlocked lake in

Ladakh and lies in the path of Chushul approach which is one of the main

approaches that China can use for an offensive in the Indian territory. The

Pangong Tso lake is governed by fingers, which are cliffs protruding into the

water body on its Northern bank. India claims that LAC passes through finger 8

on the East whereas China claims the LAC to be passing through finger 2 in the

West. China has blocked Indian troops from patrolling the lake beyond finger 4,

thus keeping an 8 km territory from finger 4 to finger 8 under its military

control.

India-China Border

India and China share 3,488 km long Line of Actual Control. It is the

demarcation line that separates Indian controlled territory from Chinese

controlled territory. Both countries have different views owing to the undemarcated

boundary, which lead to transgressions and face-offs time to time. India considers

LAC to be 3488 km long whereas China considers it to be only 2000 km long.

The India-China borders can be categorised into three sectors

1. Western Sector (Aksai Chin) The region is claimed by the Chinese government

post 1962 war as an autonomous part of Xinjiang region. Geographically, it

belongs to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. This sector witnesses highest

transgressions.

2. Central Sector It is less disputed section of the Indo-China border but the clash

of Doklam sector in 2017 and Nathu La pass trading issues have brought distress.

3. Eastern Sector McMahon Line had differentiated India and China in this sector

but in 1962 war, the People’s Liberation Army occupied 9000 sq km area of India.

The announcement of a unilateral ceasefire made them step back on the

international borderline. However, China has been claiming the area as its own

and named it South Tibet.

Concerns Along the Indo-China Border

China is now claiming the entire Galwan valley and wants to unilaterally alter

the LAC position. But this is not the only issue along the long India-China

border. There are several permanent concerns that characterise the border between

India and China. These include

 Undemarcated LAC The alignment of the LAC was never been agreed upon.

The LAC is not a clearly demarcated line but it is based on the perceptions of

the two sides. The current perception of LAC reflects the territories that are

currently under the control of each side but the territorial boundary dispute is

still a pending issue. India claims the LAC as the line which is marked on the

maps of Survey of India, that includes even the Aksai Chin occupied by China.

In China’s case LAC corresponds to mainly its claim line but in the Eastern

sector, China claims entire Arunachal Pradesh and South Tibet.

 Different Claims India and China do not agree upon the areas they claim.

Differences in perception, particularly in 13 spots in the Western, middle and

Eastern sector of the border often leads to faceoffs when the military patrolling

units encounter each other in areas which are not clearly demarcated as to

under whose control do they lie. Some of these areas are Chumar, Demchok,

and Northern Bank of Pangong Tso lake.

 Chinese Tactics China leaves several territorial disputes intentionally unsettled

so that they can use the grey areas to pressurise India at their own

convenience. The border conflicts along the LAC seem to be indicative of this

Chinese approach to use border issue to pressurise the Indian side.

 Weakening Protocols There has been a weakening of protocols and erosion of

trust between both the sides due to frequent clashes and faceoffs. Various

agreements in place such as the Agreement on Peace and Tranquility along the

LAC signed in 1993 has not been implemented fully. The 1996 agreement on

confidence building measures too has not been fruitful in resolving the

disputes.

Concerns with Foreign Policy of India

India’s growing power in the Asian region means that it needs a new paradigm

for its foreign policy. If the current issue is not diplomatically managed, this may

also cause great uncertainty in China’s approach towards India as it has two

neighbours that are hostile towards India.

There are some aspects of the foreign policy that have changed considerably and

India needs to revisit that policy. Earlier India was seen as a natural rising power

in South Asia and the Indian ocean region. It was the de facto leader of South

Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). India had committed itself to

multilateralism and the Central Asian Connectivity Project with Iran as its gateway.

There were investments worth billions in Afghanistan and it enjoyed goodwill and

influence in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. India was competing and cooperating with

China at the same time. In the current scenario, there has been a relative decline

in India’s regional prowess, especially in the neighbourhood. The institution of

SAARC has weakened. Nepal has turned hostile towards India adopting a new

map, possibly under Chinese influence.

Sri Lanka has tilted towards China which has undertaken massive infrastructure

projects in Sri Lanka’s port cities. Bangladesh too has presented its reservations on

the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019. When Afghanistan is undergoing transition,

India has been out of multi-party talks. All these deficiencies present an opportunity

for China to act as a supplementary in place of India in the region.

China has also made aggressive interferences in the internal affairs of smaller

Asian countries. India has not provided support to these small nations to prevent

Chinese aggression. Thus, India needs to build a stable order to counter these

subtle Chinese ways of increasing its powers and intimidating its neighbours. There

will be an urgent need to recalibrate the foreign policy dimensions to counter the

Chinese offensive. Institutions such as the QUAD can be effectively used to

contain China and balance the power dynamics in the region.

Reason for Chinese Aggression Along the LAC

There are several reasons apart from the undemarcated LAC, differing perceptions

and issues with India’s foreign policy. These include :

 Change in the Status of Jammu and Kashmir India has changed the status

of Jammu and Kashmir to a Union Territory which may have infuriated China

as it lays huge claims on the Ladakh region. China had also reacted furiously

when India ended the protectorate of Sikkim in 1975 and integrated with

India. China has also several claims in the Arunachal Pradesh. So any changes

in the polity and governance of these territories makes China pressurise India

on several fronts.

 India’s Developing Border Infrastructure India has been strengthening its

border infrastructure along the LAC. India has also constructed and upgraded

the Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie Road in the region that has also pushed

China to pressurise the Indian establishment. With more developed

infrastructure, Indian troops can patrol more areas than before which also

leads to frequent clashes along the border.

 Bilateral Relations There has been some erosion in bilateral relations between

both countries. India has been against the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative

and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. India has also put several curbs on

Chinese investments. India’s assertions on Gilgit-Baltistan is seen in China as

an attack on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

 India-US Alignment India’s foreign policy calls for non-alignment with any

country or alliance. But India has, (in recent times) moved closer to USA. An

evident degree of geopolitical convergence also exists between the US and

India in the Indo-Pacific region, directed against China. The Quad Security

Dialogue has also infuriated the Chinese as it is being perceived as an

anti-China alliance. India is also projected as an alternative to China in the

South Asian region.

 Weakening Relation With Neighbours China has made aggressive claims on

the LAC as India’s neighbourhood relations with various countries have

deteriorated. Pakistan and Nepal have made aggressive claims on Indian

territory with both of them even publishing new maps that show Indian

territory as their own. Sri Lanka has moved closer to China and Bangladesh

has expressed its concerns over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

China’s Internal Politics Internal pressures have been generated inside China

due to COVID-19 and its effects on the Chinese economy that has seen a

downslide amid the biggest health crisis China has faced since decades. The

political and economic tensions have greatly aggravated pressures on Chinese

leadership and anti-China wave around the world has further worsened matters

for it. Thus, it is putting pressure on its neighbours to reascertain it’s

supremacy and sprout domestic emotions.

Tactics to Solve the Disputes

India should first diffuse the tensions along the border with the help of existing

mechanisms. There have been several rounds of talks too that have possibly

resolved matters. But these standoffs are not merely border conflicts. They have a

wider dimension to them. These dimension should be taken into account while

dealing with China problem. The possible tactics to resolve these issue are

 Diplomatic Means Rather than openly considering the military option, India

should go for diplomatic engagements with the Chinese. It should work

towards creating international opinion in its support regarding border

violations. Diplomatically India can create an international opinion that China

is wrong and India has peaceful intentions whereas China’s intentions are

expansionist.

 Maintaining Peace India should not militarily offend China in the first place.

It should realise that maintaining peace on the borders is essential for the

whole region. It should act responsibly like a leader and maintain just and

peaceful relations with even its neighbouring countries. Diplomatically its

messaging capacity should be improved to spread the message of peace rather

than conflicts in the region. It should also engage with the underdeveloped

and developing countries of the region so as to provide them direct and

indirect aid. This will maintain prosperity in the region and help in countering

Chinese influence in these countries.

 United India Above all, India should become all united as that is the best

antidote than any alliance and counter offensive. It should reiterate and

rejuvenate the concept of unity in diversity. It should learn from The Dalai

Lama as it is a symbol of enduring hope for millions of people. It should not

abandon the Buddhist Teacher under Chinese pressures. All these tactics will

produce excellent results and prevent the Chinese from threatening India.

Conclusion

India should move with caution and diplomatically put pressure on the Chinese

side. It should seek US aid in pressurising China. The relations with Nepal,

Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other neighbours should be cordial so that they do not

side with the Chinese. On the domestic front, development activities should be

carried out on the China-India border so that China does not have an upper

hand in the border infrastructure. The talks at the highest levels must be resumed

with caution, keeping India’s interests in mind.

Finally, it must be remembered that India and China are neighbours and have

enjoyed historical relations between two nations. There is much for both the

countries to gain from peace and a lot to lose from wars and fights.