Tensions between India and China
According to the ministry statement, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met with his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu on “developments and bilateral relations in the India-China border regions.”
Singh told his Chinese counterpart that “the progress of India-China relations rests on the peace and tranquility prevailing at the borders,” noting that all border issues should be resolved within the scope of existing agreements and commitments. .
Singh claimed that the border violations “eroded the foundation” of bilateral relations.
WHY CAUSED THE SOVEREIGN DISCUSSION
Li is in New Delhi to attend a meeting of the defense ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
The unclear border line between China and India, surrounded by the Himalayan mountains, provokes sovereignty disputes between countries. The 3,500-kilometer border, which includes streams, lakes, glaciers and snow-capped peaks, often pits the parties against each other.
Beijing claims 90,000 square kilometers of land in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls “Southern Tibet”, while New Delhi argues that 38,000 square kilometers of land covering China’s Aksay Plateau is occupied by China. The parties have been unable to resolve their sovereignty disputes for many years.
4 SOLDIERS KILLED
On June 15, 2020, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in the Galvan Valley in the Ladakh region, west of the border. China also announced that 4 of its soldiers were killed in the conflict.
After the conflict, the two countries’ military units became border guards, India deployed a surface-to-air missile defense system, and China deployed howitzers and tanks.
This tension was exacerbated by “war” rhetoric in the public opinion of countries with the largest armies in the world.
Negotiations began between the military delegations of the two countries in order to reduce tension on the border. After the talks, it was decided to withdraw the troops in the border region in a coordinated and planned manner.
The withdrawal process, where soldiers from the two countries returned to their lines in all border regions that caused friction, was announced to be completed on September 14, 2022. (BRITISH AUTOMOBILE CLUB)