Lecturrete Topic 85 - India – china relations

INDIA-CHINA RELATIONS 

India and China are two undisputed Asian giants and the 21st century belongs to these two in the background of receding American influence. The geopolitical landscape of the world is likely to transform accordingly. Unfortunately, instead of adapting a cooperative posture, China tends to dominate over its neighbors, with whom china has numerous disputes. For India that fancies itself as an emerging superpower, learning to live with an assertive China is one of its greatest foreign policy challenges. As of now, India is still a lesser power than China in terms of its economic and military might, both conventional and non-conventional.

Indian policy makers find China’s approach to India quite perplexing. On the border, China has vastly superior military machinery. Its economic muscle is much bigger. And yet it appears keen to avoid any major confrontations along the 4,056 km undemarcated border. But on many issues of bilateral import, China takes a far more belligerent stand-like seeking to check India’s bid for a place in the UN Security Council; trying to keep India out of an Asian economic community; blocking ADB from giving Arunachal money for a water project; denying Arunachal residents Chinese visas; not allowing India to join nuclear supply group of nations etc. 

Border disputes between India and China

The India-China borders can be broken down into three sectors:

1. Western Sector or Aksai Chin Sector: The region is claimed by the Chinese government post-1962 war as an autonomous part of Xinjiang region which is originally supposed to be the part of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

2. Central Sector: It is the less disputed section of the Indo-China border but recent Doklam standoff and Nathu La Pass trading issues have brought distress at all levels.

3. Eastern Sector or Arunachal Pradesh: McMahon Line had differentiated India and China in this sector but in 1962 war the People’s Liberation Army covered 9000 sq. km. area. The announcement of unilateral ceasefire made them step back on the international borderline. However, China has been claiming that area as their own and recently they have started to claim whole Arunachal Pradesh as their own.

Border conflicts after the India-China War of 1962

• Aksai Chin in Jammu and Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh in North East are the three reasons of the war and after a 1-month long war, China succeeded in gaining control over Aksai chin .

• In 1967, there were two major occasions of conflicts at Cho La and Nathu La Pass. All these occasions were in favour of India as they stop and send back Chinese army.

Agreements and initiatives to resolve the border disputes

• Shimla agreement 1914: McMahon line was established and was accepted by Tibet and British Indian authorities. Chinese authorities have been against this from 1914 till today as they believe that Tibet was not a sovereign authority with no power to conclude any treaties.

• Panchsheel agreement 1954: It was a pact to respect each other’s territorial boundaries and sovereignty but since 1962 China has rarely honored the agreement.

• 1989 CBM: Confidence Building Measure policy was aimed to settle disputes mutually and peacefully.

• The Line of Actual Control: India consider Aksai chin as a part of India and China as theirs, both of them follow a different line of control but in 1993 PM Narasimha Rao agreed to maintain peace along LAC which separates Jammu and Kashmir from Aksai Chin.

• 2003 Principles for Relations & Comprehensive Cooperation: It was a three-step process where both sides prepared their maps and exchanged for each other’s approval. China accepted India’s authority over Sikkim.

• CBM in 2005: Both nations agreed to implement modalities in CBM along LAC.

• Coordination along Border: In 2012 both countries common terms for working methods regarding Indo-China border.

The reasons

• China was the whole and sole superpower amid Asian countries but India has emerged as another superpower and challenged China’s monopoly in Southern Asia and also on the Global level.

• South Asian oceans and seas are potential sources of energy resources like poly-metallic nodules and hydrocarbons. China wants to exploit most of these resources.

• Southern Asia holds key trading routes and strategic position in connecting the rest of the world.

• China wants to undermine Indian market as many International companies are moving out of China and relocating to India.

• India has become one of the key players of this Multi-polar world and has good relations with Russia and the USA which are prime competitors of China.

• India’s attitude and stand are getting stronger with the time and India is not afraid of China in any sector.

Solution

Two sides must make peace as it will certainly help both the nations to rise on the global level. Both of them should go to the root causes of the problems and resolve them mutually. Indo-China relationship has never been built on the trust so it is high time they should endorse policies which are based on the shared trust. Clear and continuous communication with 100% transparency is necessary to maintain peace and happy bilateral relationship as dreamt by PM Modi as “Inch (India and China) towards Miles (Millennium of Exceptional Synergy)”. Indo-china relationship is important for not just countries but the people of the South Asian region too.