Sino - Indian Border Dispute

India has large swathe of boundary under dispute with China and the fact that China has resolved boundary disputes with other neighbouring nations indicates that a high level of mistrust continues to the bilateral relationship. The Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which is also claimed by China, is the current immovable object in the Sino-Indian relationship. However, on this occasion that tricky problem has been exacerbated by a planned visit of the Dalai Lama to the disputed state and to Tawang, birth-place of the revered Sixth Dalai Lama, which lies within the borders claimed by China.

China had been issuing visas for Indians from Kashmir on separate pieces of the paper rather than stamping them in passports, implying that Kashmir is not a part of India and reversing years of China policy towards Indian Kashmir. These recent moves by China are indicative of the depth of Beijing’s anger about the planned visit by the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh. The concern is also implied about the deepening relationship between India and the United States, China also appears to be taxed by the anti-China rhetoric that is developing in certain Indian strategic coterie and in parts of the Indian media. India’s MEA has finally realised and took this matter seriously. Other Indian Ministries and Ministers had also criticized China’s public commitment to funding infrastructure projects in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. The China-India border issue is mired in the international politics of competing perceptions, mythmaking and obfuscations. The recent warming up of international relations between China and India, as evidenced by frequent exchanges of high level visits and a massive increase in trade, failed to replicate the fraternal relations of early 1950s, and the biggest hurdle in that was the unresolved border dispute. The legacy of the 1962 border war is very much alive as the nationalist narratives in both countries adopt a register of blame rather than critical examination and mutual understanding. While the Chinese position on the illegality of the McMahon Line has remained constant, the exact details of their claims to territories have shifted regularly. Chinese actions real as well as perceived, in Tibetan regions and countries around India especially Pakistan, increase the distrust and paranoia in India about China’s intentions.

China and India are rapidly emerging as key global players in the 21st century. Leaders around the world, military strategists, security thinkers and human rights commissions have turned their attention to the challenges and opportunities offered by the rise of two Asian countries that share between them more than 37% of the world’s population, 20% of the world’s energy use, 10-17% of world’s economy, 8-10% of military spending, 9% of world’s land, and are projected to significantly increase their stamp on the global politico-economic landscape. This fluid scenario demands greater understanding of the politics and international relations of both China and India, especially of Sino-Indian relations. Some of the components that contribute to testy China-India relations are mutual suspicion of each others intentions, the bitter memories of 1962 war, China’s close relations with Pakistan, China’s increasing clout in other South Asian States. In order to safeguard one’s own territory, as strategically important as Arunachal Pradesh, there has to be a political consensus and financial allocation for building infrastructure on an appropriate scale. It is, however, critical to build political consensus on the fact that China is aggressively claiming territory thereby requiring urgent policy attention and intervention. Ambiguity in these matters will be interpreted by the aggressor country as a sign of weakness.

Apart from ‘stabbing in the back’ and blaming Jawaharlal Nehru for his naive and idealistic foreign policies, China knows for sure that India’s economic and military strength will double in the next 10 years. Therefore, it makes rational sense for China to aggressively pursue its claim on Arunachal Pradesh in the present context. China’s strategic elite will continue to showcase Arunachal Pradesh as part of China given the Tibet issue and the fear that the next Dalai Lama may be born in Arunachal Pradesh.