Al Jazeera Net
The border region between China and India witnessed new skirmishes between the border guards of the two countries, in the first week of May, due to the Chinese army's objection to the Indian forces patrolling the border region of Ladakh.
The tension began with a fight between the soldiers, and the Chinese soldiers arrested members of the Indian army before they were released later.
In the aftermath, the commander-in-chief of the Indian Land Forces, General Manoj Mukund Naravan, visited the area, and the army moved infantry battalions to the border, at a time when the Chinese army set up several tents near the Galvan Valley.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said earlier that Indian soldiers are blocking patrols and carrying out operations of Chinese border guards in Ladakh region.
The following is the most important information that summarizes the features of this conflict:
The disputed areas of
the Arunachal Pradesh Plateau: a border region, located at the crossroads between China and the Kingdom of Bhutan and the state of Sikkim, which is located in north-eastern India.
Bhutan and India call the region the Duclam Plateau, while China calls it "southern Tibet" and asserts that it is part of its territory. India supports Bhutan's demands for sovereignty over the region, and says China occupies large parts of it.
Aksay Chen: A disputed area between the two sides west of the Himalayas, with an area of about 38 thousand square kilometers, which is almost empty of the population, and contains many salt lakes.
The region is under the control of China, which it considers part of the Xinjiang region, and India is still claiming the region and considers it part of the Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir.
Controversial claims by
China:
Beijing says its right to sovereignty over the disputed territories is backed by a set of documents dating back to a border agreement concluded with Britain on March 17, 1890, known as "Sikkim Tibet" in addition to documents from the Indian Embassy in China issued in 1960 confirms India's recognition and acceptance of the terms of the agreement.
Bhutan: A
small country located at the eastern end of the Himalayas, who does not have any diplomatic relations with China with which it communicates through its embassy in India, and considers that "Dukalam" a disputed territory, and that there is a written agreement between Bhutan and Beijing that prevents any final settlement of the issue The common border, and demands the maintenance of peace and tranquility in the region. It is noteworthy that the Indian forces stationed in the region play a vital role in training and assisting Bhutan forces, as security cooperation is an essential element in the bilateral relations between the two countries.
India:
Although the disputed “Doklam” region is not part of nor claimed by India, it confirms that the Bhutan government has asked it to intervene on its behalf, and considers the region of strategic importance for Indian national security. Beijing’s control of it would facilitate Chinese forces access It is easy access to the Siliguri pass that links the states of North and East India with the rest of the country.
The history of the conflict
The main dispute between China and India revolves around the non-demarcation of their borders extending over four thousand kilometers, and the fate of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh is considered the most dangerous point of confrontation, as the region was annexed to the Indian lands during the era of British colonialism, but after China and India gained their independence in late The 1940s each demanded sovereignty over the region, and the conflict worsened in 1959 when the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibet region, sought refuge in India from the Chinese authorities. Chinese amid international pressure.
Another confrontation erupted between the two countries in 1987, when the Indian government called the "state" of the Arunachal Pradesh region, which angered Beijing and warned of war, before the two sides reached a diplomatic solution.
Historic stations
in 1826 annexed the British East India Company "Assam" and gradually extended British influence to the North East Territory of India.
In 1912, the region now called "Arunachal Pradesh" became an administrative unit within Assam, and it was called the North-East Frontier Province.
In 1914, the representatives of the Republic of China, Tibet and Britain negotiated and reached a treaty in India called the Simla Agreement for Demarcating the Borders between Inner and Foreign Tibet, as well as between Tibetan and British India. China refused to demarcate Tibet's external borders and its delegate withdrew, so the British and Tibetan commissioners attached a memorandum depriving China of any concessions under the agreement, and closed as a bilateral agreement.
In 1950 India began to claim the disputed territories, on the basis of the Simla Agreement. However, China rejected the Indian demands, and said that Tibet was never an independent country, and therefore was unable to sign a treaty on behalf of Beijing to set international borders, adding that as long as it had sovereignty over Tibet, the agreement was not valid without Chinese approval.
In 1960, officials from India and China held discussions to settle the border dispute between them, based on an agreement between the two prime ministers, Jawaharlal Nehru and Cho Inlay. Countries differed on major watersheds in the western sector of the border.
In 1962, China occupied parts of Arunachal Pradesh, and the Sino-Indian War erupted. India suffered a severe defeat, and yet retained the mandate after the Chinese forces withdrew from it amid international pressure.
In 1986, there were border clashes, and the two parties entered into negotiations to resolve these differences and to determine the border line between them, without reaching a result.
In 1987, the confrontation raged between the two countries when the government in New Delhi called the "state" of the Arunachal Pradesh region, becoming the Indian state number (29), and this angered Beijing and warned of war, before the two parties reached a diplomatic solution that prevented it.
In 1996 a conflict resolution agreement was concluded including "confidence-building measures" and a mutually agreed physical control line.
In 2006, both countries claimed incursions of up to one kilometer into the Arunachal Pradesh region, leading to tension and mutual accusations.
In 2009 India announced that it would deploy additional military forces along the border.
In 2013 India said that Chinese forces had set up a camp 10 kilometers from its eastern border, and said that the incursion included Chinese military helicopters entering Indian airspace, but Beijing denied this. Soldiers from both countries deployed to the border for a whole month, before they all withdrew.
In April 2014, New Delhi suggested that China recognize the "one India" policy for resolving the border dispute.
In September 2015, Chinese and Indian forces in the Portsea region, north of Ladakh, after Indian forces dismantled an observation tower built by China near the agreed military patrol line between the two countries.
In June 2017, the two sides increased their forces to 3,000 each, when Indian soldiers objected to the Chinese army building a road in a disputed area.
On July 23, 2017, China asked its neighbor to withdraw its forces from the Chinese part of the border strip between them, and Ministry of Defense spokesman Wu Qian said that New Delhi should take practical steps to correct the mistake, stop provocations and work together for the stability and security of the region, and warned against underestimating the capabilities of the army The Chinese stressed that his ability to defend sovereignty was constantly enhanced.
On July 24, 2017, China accused its neighbor of violating a border agreement concluded by Britain with Beijing in 1890 and earlier Indian governments pledged to respect. The Chinese government has called on its Indian counterpart to respect the border agreement to end a "very dangerous" incursion by Indian forces.
In mid-June 2019, China sent soldiers to protect construction work in the disputed Duclam region, to build a border road. India retaliated by deploying military forces that prevented the completion of the project, and justified this by allowing construction of the road to make it easier for Chinese to reach sensitive areas. Beijing accused the Indian forces of having crossed the Chinese border, and demanded the Ministry of Defense India to withdraw its forces and warned against underestimating the capabilities of its army, stressing that its ability to defend sovereignty.