This leads us to conclude that an agreement on the exact location of a limited number of contested regions, such as the Doklam plateau on the China-Bhutan border, has the potential to significantly defuse the conflict, and could potentially settle the dispute at a further date. However, major incidents do lead to an increased tension that persists for years all along the entire Line of Actual Control (LAC). The incursions in these sectors are statistically independent. We find that the conflict can be separated into two independent conflicts, the western and eastern sectors. We have assembled a unique data set of the dates and locations of the major incursions over the past 15 years. This rising tension between the world’s most populous countries not only poses risks for global security and the world economy, but also has a negative impact on the unique ecology of the Himalayas, because of the expanding military infrastructure. Reports of Chinese incursions into Indian territory are now a frequent occurrence. The countries went to war in 1962 and there have been recurring border skirmishes ever since. Though tensions have since eased, both sides maintain a large troop presence in the border region, raising the risk of potential miscalculation in the event of sudden and unexpected clashes.The China-India border is the longest disputed border in the world.
Both have nuclear weapons.īorder tensions escalated between the two countries after soldiers fought with fists, stones and nail-studded bamboo poles in a bloody brawl that killed at least 20 Indian soldiers in June 2020 in the Galwan Valley, close to Aksai Chin, an area controlled by China but claimed by both countries. Why are China and India fighting over an inhospitable strip of the Himalayas?Īny military provocations between Indian and China could have grave consequences.
(Photo by Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images) Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images Ladakh, sharing borders with both China and Pakistan, has seen an increase in tourism over the last few years, an alternative to Nepali Himalayan treks. Ladakh, nestled between the Kunlun mountain range in the north and the main Great Himalayas to the south, was once an ancient Buddhist Kingdom and for over half a century now, a strategic military outpost for India. LEH, INDIA - OCTOBER 5: An Indian Military banner post is seen on the road to Pangong Lake on Octonear to Leh, Ladakh, India. Its precise location can be blurry, and there is still dispute between China and India as to where one country ends and the other begins. The Line of Actual Control, the loosely-defined, de facto border between India and China, emerged out of the Sino-Indian border war of 1962, which itself was sparked by longstanding historical territorial disagreements. “One important element of this broader effort includes exercises and training events and Yudh Abhyas is one such annual bilateral exercise designed to improve interoperability and improve our respective capacities to address a range of regional security challenges,” the spokesperson said.
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Tensions have been raised further recently by China building a bridge across the Pangong Tso lake that sits along the border – a move condemned by the Indian government as an “ illegal occupation.”ĭuring a visit to India this year, the US Army’s Pacific Commanding General Charles Flynn described China’s military build-up near the disputed border as “alarming.”Īsked about the joint exercises, a US Department of Defense spokesperson told CNN that the partnership with India was “one of the most important elements of our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.” Relations between India and China have been strained since a bloody clash between their soldiers in the Himalayas in June 2020 left at least 20 Indian troops and four Chinese soldiers dead. The drills will take place as part of the 18th edition of an annual joint exercise known as “Yudh Abhyas” – or “War Practice”. The military drills will be held in mid-October at an altitude of 10,000 feet in Auli in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and will focus on high-altitude warfare training, according to a senior Indian Army officer with knowledge of the matter.Īuli is about 95 kilometers from the Line of Actual Control (LAC), an inhospitable piece of land where the disputed border between India and China is roughly demarcated.
The United States is to take part in a joint military exercise with India less than 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the South Asian country’s disputed border with China.
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