Question

Explain any three reasons that are responsible for the strained relations between India and China.

Hint:

To structure a high-scoring answer on India-China tensions, use three clear headings: 1. The Border Dispute (Aksai Chin, McMahon Line, Galwan Valley clash); 2. The Tibet Issue (Dalai Lama's asylum in 1959, Dharamshala exile government); and 3. Strategic Encirclement (CPEC crossing PoK, String of Pearls, and blocking of UN terrorist listings).

Answer 1

Step 1: Introduction to India-China Bilateral Ties:
Despite sharing ancient civilizational and trade links, relations between the Republic of India and the People's Republic of China (PRC) have been consistently strained since the late 1950s. While early relations were guided by the optimistic slogan “Hindi-Chini Bhai-Bhai” and the signing of the Panchsheel Agreement in 1954, geopolitical rivalry, territorial disputes, and strategic mistrust have repeatedly overshadowed bilateral cooperation, culminating in the 1962 Sino-Indian War and continuing into modern border standoffs.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation of Three Key Reasons for Strained Relations:
The primary drivers of the strained relationship between New Delhi and Beijing can be analyzed through three core domains: [label=\arabic*.]
• The Boundary Dispute (McMahon Line, Aksai Chin, and LAC): The most volatile and unresolved issue between the two nations is their overlapping territorial claims along their 3,488 km border, which is divided into three sectors:
• The Western Sector (Aksai Chin): China claims Aksai Chin (historically part of the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir) and built a strategic highway connecting Xinjiang with Tibet through this region in the 1950s. India claims Aksai Chin as its sovereign territory.
• The Eastern Sector (Arunachal Pradesh): China refuses to recognize the McMahon Line (the border agreed upon at the 1914 Simla Convention between British India and Tibet), claiming Arunachal Pradesh as “South Tibet.”
• The Line of Actual Control (LAC): The absence of a mutually agreed-upon, demarcated border has led to frequent military incursions and standoffs, such as the 73-day Doklam standoff in 2017 and the violent Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, which resulted in casualties on both sides and frozen diplomatic ties.
• The Tibet Issue and the Dalai Lama's Asylum: The annexation of Tibet by China in 1950 dismantled the historical buffer state between India and China, bringing Chinese military forces directly to India's northern borders.
• In 1959, following a failed anti-Chinese uprising in Lhasa, India granted political asylum to the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, along with thousands of Tibetan refugees.
• The establishment of the Central Tibetan Administration (Tibetan Government-in-Exile) in Dharamshala, India, deeply angered Beijing, which accused India of supporting anti-China separatist activities.
• The ongoing militarization of the Tibetan plateau and efforts to alter its cultural and demographic landscape remain key security concerns for India.
• Strategic Rivalry, the China-Pakistan Axis, and Encirclement: India is increasingly concerned by China's efforts to strategically encircle and contain India's influence in South Asia and the Indian Ocean:
• The China-Pakistan Axis: China maintains an all-weather military and strategic alliance with Pakistan. India strongly objects to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), because it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), violating India's territorial sovereignty.
• The String of Pearls: China has developed dual-use naval and port facilities in India's neighborhood (such as Gwadar in Pakistan, Hambantota in Sri Lanka, and Chittagong in Bangladesh), which India views as a strategy of maritime encirclement.
• Multilateral Obstructions: Beijing has repeatedly used its technical veto at the UN Security Council to block India's bids to list Pakistan-based terrorists on international sanctions lists and continues to block India's membership in the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).