The Boundary of Allies

India’s growing positive relations with China highlight a highly crucial question – should India overlook boundary issues with China? Relations between India and China have historically been marked by cooperation in trade and multilateral forums but restricted by persistent boundary disputes. After years of indifference, Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi recently visited China for the Shanghai Cooperation. And despite the conflicts both leaders re-affirmed that the two countries are ‘Development Partners’ and not Rivals.

These issues stem from our intertwined history. India became the first Non-Communist nation in Asia to establish diplomatic relations with China in April 1950, Soon, this newly formed link went erratic due to the Sino-India war of 1962. India has never initiated any war to this date but has always fought for its Rights, Territorial Integrity and Independence. Thus, it was not a big shocker that India repelled when China claiming sovereignty, unlawfully, over two regions of India i.e. Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh. Akshai Chin is the Southward extension of Tibetan Plateau, which India believes is a part of Ladakh and an integral part of its territory, whereas China claims it as a part of its Xinjiang region. The roots of this dispute lie in the mid-19th century when the British Raj of India and the Qing Dynasty of China did not recognize the boundary formally, instead they perceived this imaginary traditional boundary which had no actual existence. This created the turmoil which was the cause of the indifferences between the two countries.

Trade has always connected the two nations, even while holding each other by the neck. China has been India’s second largest trading partner and its fellowship in technology, pharmaceuticals, agricultural products etc. accelerates India’s growth tremendously.Since the Economic Liberalization of the 1990s, bilateral trade has expanded rapidly. Annual trade volumes today hit the $100 billion mark, a striking rise compared to just a few billion in the early 2000s. This growth reflects the strong complementarity between India’s resource base and China’s manufacturing capacity.

Even though India has had border issues with China, both the countries have attempted to normalize ties, despite their shortcomings. Yet their Alliance faced a major setback in 2020, when China showcased its aggressive approach during the Galwan incident. The Galwan Valley clash was a violent confrontation between Indian and Chinese troops on June 15, 2020, in the Galwan Valley, Ladakh, along the line of Actual Control i.e. LAC – which serves as the de facto border between the two countries. Despite no use of arms, at least 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives, making it the deadliest encounter between the two nations in 45 years! The Galwan incident triggered a lengthy period of military confrontation, prompting numerous sessions of both diplomatic dialogue and military level negotiations.

Both India and China have since adopted far more assertive and vigilant stances along their contested border regions. This violent episode shattered a 45-year stretch without deadly incidents along the frontier, greatly intensifying hostilities and heightening long-term strategic suspicion between the two Asian powers. Nevertheless, despite their various moments of brawling, we can say that their alliance never moulded into extreme rivalry. Hence, the rekindle of their coherence was not a knee jerk reaction to the current political turmoil in international politics.

To sum up, the boundary issues between India and China goes beyond territory. It is a matter of Sovereignty, Security, and Regional Stability. India must stand resolute in defending its borders while keeping the doors of dialogue open to prevent escalation. Only through firm determination and mature diplomacy can both nations reduce tensions and shape a future of peace and cooperation.

Furthermore, The Ministry of External Affairs announced that India and China will resume direct flights by late October 2025, after more than five years. This decision upholds the discussions at normalising relations between the two countries amid improving bilateral ties.

The Ministry of External Affairsstated that since the beginning of this year, as part of the government's efforts to gradually normalise India-China relations, the civil aviation authorities of both nations have held technical discussions on resuming direct air services and negotiating a new Air Services Agreement.

The civil aviation authorities' agreement seeks to promote greater people-to-people contact between India and China, helping to gradually normalise bilateral exchanges. This attempt at rekindling the shattered bonds might lead India as a fellow Asian power into new places in international politics–just another chapter in Indo-China relations and a word capable of rewriting geopolitics!