INDO-CHINA BORDER DISPUTE- INTERNATIONAL
News: Border issue should be kept in proper place', says China
More in news:
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Visiting Chinese Foreign
Minister Qin Gang, in talks with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar,
called on India to look at relations "in the context of once-in-a-century
changes in the world" and to put the border issue "in the proper
place".
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Mr. Jaishankar had
flagged the "abnormal" state of ties and reiterated India's position
that restoration of peace on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) was required for
a return to normalcy.
Background of Border Disputes:
Western Sector
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India and China share a 2152-kilometre-long
border in the western sector. It is located between the India’s of Jammu and
Kashmir and the Chinese province of Xinjiang.
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There is a territorial
dispute in this sector over Aksai Chin. In 1962, both countries went to war
over the disputed territory of Aksai Chin. It is claimed by India to be part of
Kashmir, while China claims it to be part of Xinjiang.
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The dispute over Aksai
Chin can be traced back to the British Empire's failure to establish a clear
legal border between China and its Indian colony. During British rule in India,
two proposed borders between India and China were Johnson's Line and McDonald
Line.
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The Johnson Line
(proposed in 1865) places Aksai Chin in Jammu and Kashmir, under Indian
control, whereas the McDonald Line (proposed in 1893) places it under Chinese
control.
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India considers the
Johnson Line to be the correct, rightful national border with China, whereas
China considers the McDonald Line to be the correct border with India.
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At the moment, the Line
of Actual Control (LAC) separates Indian areas of Jammu and Kashmir from Aksai
Chin. It runs parallel to the Chinese Aksai Chin claim line.
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In this sector, India and
China share a 625-kilometre-long border that runs from Ladakh to Nepal.
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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
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India and China share a
1,140-kilometer-long border in this sector. It stretches from Bhutan's eastern
border to a point near the Talu Pass, which connects Tibet, India, and Myanmar.
This boundary line is known as the McMahon Line.
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Except where the Kemang,
Subansiri, Dihang, and Lohit rivers break through the Himalayan crest of the
northern Brahmaputra watershed, the boundary was established along the
Himalayan crest of that watershed.
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The British-India
government convened a tripartite conference in 1913, at which the boundary
between India and Tibet was formalized following a discussion between Indians
and Tibetans.
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The Indo-Tibetan boundary
was delineated as a result of the adoption of a Convention.
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China considers the
McMahon Line to be illegal and unacceptable, claiming that Tibetan
representatives who signed the 1914 Shimla Convention, which delineated the
McMahon Line on the map, lacked the legal authority to do so.
Johnson Line Vs McDonald Line:
Even on the
Johnson and McDonald lines, which separate the two countries' territories, the
two countries have maintained their respective positions.
Steps taken to resolve the disputes:
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Shimla
agreement of 1914: To demarcate the boundary between
Tibet and North East India, a convention was held at Shimla in 1914,
representatives of all three i.e. Tibet, China and British India. After the
discussion, the agreement was signed by British India and Tibet but not by the
Chinese officials. Presently India recognizes the Mcmahon line, as agreed by
the Shimla convention, as the legal boundary between India and China. However,
China rejects the Shimla agreement and the Mcmahon line, contending that Tibet
was not a sovereign state and therefore did not have the power to conclude
treaties.
●
Panchsheel
Agreement of 1954: The Panchsheel doctrine clearly
indicated the willingness to ‘Respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial
integrity’. Although we have come a long way since, from 1962 war to the cold
peace era of 1962-1989, to the revived tensions of the present, the intent of
the doctrine was well directed. It must have acted as a safeguard against any
such disputes arising in the first place.
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In 1989, India-China
formed a Joint Working Group for
Confidence building measures (CBMs) and agreed to mutually settle all
border disputes.
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India-China
Agreements regarding the Line of Actual Control (LAC):
The LAC is the effective military border which separates Indian controlled areas
of Jammu and Kashmir from Aksai Chin. It is to be noted that this border is not
a legally recognized international boundary, but rather it is the practical
boundary. Conventionally, India considers the Johnson line of 1865, marked by a
civil servant W.H. Johnson, which put Aksai Chin in Jammu and Kashmir. On the
other hand, China recognizes the Macartney-Macdonald Line as the actual
boundary which puts Aksai Chin in Xinjiang region of China. In 1993, when the
then Prime Minister Narasimha Rao visited China, ‘The Agreement for Maintenance
of Peace and Tranquility along the LAC, was signed between India and China. In
1996 an agreement took place on Confidence Building Measures in the military
field along the LAC.
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In
2003 India and China signed a Declaration on Principles for Relations and
Comprehensive Cooperation and also mutually
decided to appoint Special
Representatives to explore the framework of a boundary settlement from the
political perspective. The India-China relations received a major boost in 2003.
China recognized India’s sovereignty over Sikkim. This was also followed by a
framework of Guiding principles and political parameters to improve bilateral
ties. It proposed a three-step resolution to the border disputes:
○ a.
A bilateral agreement on the laid down principles.
○ b.
This was to be followed by an exchange of maps between the two countries.
○ c.
Once satisfied with the markings, the final demarcation of borders was to take
place.
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In 2005 a protocol was
agreed on Modalities for the implementation of Confidence Building Measures in
the Military field along the LAC.
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In 2012 India and China
agreed on the establishment of a working mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India China borders.
WAY FORWARD:
From the recent
incidents, although the possibility of an India-China armed conflict cannot be
ruled out, any kind of military conflict is not in the interest of any country.
The need of the hour is realizing that our ‘strategic partnership’ could serve
us both and help see Asia emerge as the core of the world economy. This dream
of ‘India-China Millennium of Exceptional Synergies’ that our Prime Minister
envisions, however, needs magnanimity and willingness on part of both the
nations.