China says India border is stable, contrasting with Indian view

Guardian

Indian anger and Chinese indifference quash hopes of border resolution

India and China have agreed to de-escalate border tensions that had arisen since the deadly clashes between their troops in 2020. This comes ahead of a possible meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pres. Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in Russia on Oct. 22-24.

BBC News

Reuters

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri Monday said the two nuclear powers had agreed to a patrolling arrangement along their Himalayan border. Their troops had reportedly stopped patrolling in many places in the Ladakh region and stacked up reinforcements amid hostilities.

Dw.Com

The areas that the two sides have agreed to resume patrolling in — reportedly the first step towards full-scale disengagement — include the Depsang and Demchok regions of Ladakh. Earlier, the Chinese Foreign Ministry had reported disengagement of troops in four areas of Ladakh.

The Indian Express

ThePrint

However, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the resumption of border patrolling implies the “disengagement process with China you can say is completed.” India and China have reportedly held several rounds of diplomatic and military talks in recent weeks.

Bloomberg.com

China claims approximately 90K sq km of territory in India's northeast, while India says China occupies 38K sq km of its territory in Ladakh's Aksai Chin Plateau. In 2020, at least 20 Indian and many Chinese soldiers reportedly died in clashes in Ladakh.

Tensions since 2020 have led to a frenzied infrastructure race, with China building new highways, railways, and military bases, and India increasing its focus on developing border areas to prevent further incursions. India and China also fought a war along the border in 1962.

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The border situation is stable, and China and India have more common interests than differences. The border issue should be put in its proper place within bilateral relations, and both sides should work towards normalizing the situation as soon as possible.

China's aggressive behavior and attempts to unilaterally alter the border status quo have severely damaged bilateral relations. The deployment of large numbers of Chinese troops and the violation of existing agreements have eroded the entire basis of the relationship between the two countries.

The US-China Conflict

India-China Border Tensions Persist Despite Talks

Military

China

India

After nearly four years of tense military standoff, the new deal between India and China offers hope for normalized relations. Clearly, both nations are ready to narrow their differences. Beijing appears to be recognizing the costs of its aggressive stance — damaged relations with a major Asian neighbor and lost economic opportunities — while Delhi acknowledges the importance of engagement. This breakthrough could restore vital political and economic ties.

Express View: On Delhi and Beijing, a hint of hope

The long-running India-China border dispute cannot be solved by a one-off deal to de-escalate tensions. While diplomatic talks have achieved limited troop withdrawals in the past, the core dispute remains unresolved. As both nuclear-armed nations enhance their military presence and infrastructure, the risk of future conflict grows, threatening strategic stability in Asia and complicating an already fragile relationship.

United States Institute of Peace

Why We Should All Worry About the China-India Border Dispute

There is a 16% chance of a China-India war by 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

India, China to Disengage Border Troops And Set Patrolling Norms

India-, China to Disengage Border TensionsTroops PersistAnd DespiteSet TalksPatrolling Norms

The Spin

Metaculus Prediction

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