Political Affairs
Get all the latest local news and viral content from Bharat with a focus on top national events and trending local stories.

India-China Border Dispute: Where Do Global Powers Stand?

08:17, 3 August 2024
© Photo : Social Media
Swapna Nair
All materials
Despite maintaining close relations with both India and China, Russia had provided significant military hardware to India that the latter had used to boost security at its borders.
Sputnik
India and China will accelerate their discussions on the contested border and work to ensure ongoing peace and stability in the region, according to a statement from China's Foreign Ministry on Thursday.
The 30th meeting of the China-India Border Affairs Consultation and Coordination Working Mechanism took place in New Delhi this week, focusing on resolving the long-standing dispute over their ill-defined Himalayan border.
Beijing emphasized that these talks are crucial for restoring normalcy in their bilateral relations and affirmed that both countries will persist in ensuring peace and calm in the disputed border regions.

“Efforts have been underway at both diplomatic and back-channel levels to overcome the deadlock in our relationship with China,” Brig. Arun Sahgal (Retd.), a senior fellow at Delhi Policy Group, told Sputnik India.

Sahgal mentioned that the recent discussions, including those in Astana and Laos, alongside the external affairs minister's comments at the Quad meeting in Tokyo, highlight India's intention to resolve issues bilaterally without external involvement.
The brigadier highlighted that PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Russia and discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin likely contributed to breaking the deadlock.

"In that regard, we are heading in the right direction and seeking to establish a positive relationship with China," Sahgal added.

This illustrates the economic interdependence that shapes relationships, and even if India-China relations were to revert to their former state, it would simply be another episode in the evolving global dynamics driven by economic factors, believes Commodore RS Vasan (Retd.), director of the Chennai Centre for China Studies, told Sputnik India.

During the 2020-21 Galwan clash, Kondapalli emphasized that “despite Russia's closeness to China, they provided India with nine types of military equipment, including the S-400, showing support even against a country that is growing closer to Russia," noted Dr Srikanth Kondapalli, dean of the School of International Studies and a professor of China studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Kondapalli explained that during a national crisis, countries look for external support, and in this context, Russia provided direct material assistance.

“Russia provided the S-400 missile system, which was stationed between Pakistan and China to address potential ballistic missile threats from both countries,” the expert saidm, adding that “this support was crucial since such aid was not available from other sources."

Historically, Russia has assisted India significantly, including in 1962 when Khrushchev pressured China to avoid conflict with India, leading to the Sino-Soviet split.

The pundit noted that in 2020, Russia supported India despite its close relationship with China, underscoring the significance of India and Russia relations.

The brigadier concluded that while India will continue to face challenges with China until the boundary dispute is resolved, the recent progress represents a promising step towards enhancing Delhi's relationship with Beijing.
Sputnik Opinion
India Conquering the Conquerors? That Book Almost Says So
31 July, 12:43
Political AffairsVladimir PutinChinaIndiaRussiaEuropean Union (EU)S-400 air defense systemsGovernment of IndiaMinistry of External Affairs (MEA)Ministry of Defence (MoD)South China SeaChina-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)cross-border terrorismborder disputeborder clashesborder tensionsSino-Indian borderTorkham borderIndo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)
Discuss