10.10.11 Menas Borders
India and China agree to new border mechanism
Asia's two most powerful states have agreed to establish a new institutionalised
mechanism to manage their lengthy land border, amid growing disputes over
boundaries at sea.
On 6th October India's Defence Minister A.K. Antony told journalists that New Delhi and Beijing were working on setting up a new
process involving diplomatic and military agencies from both sides, and that
the
mechanism would be up and running within around three months.
A new system to resolve border disputes is sorely needed. India regularly
accuses Chinese forces of entering its territory, which China denies. The two
sides
fought a brief but bloody border war in the Himalayas in 1962, and the border
between them is still hotly disputed. China claims most of the Indian state of
Arunachal Pradesh in northeastern India, arguing that the McMahon Line which
Tibet
concluded with the British Empire in 1914 – and which now serves as the de facto border between India and China - was invalid.
The situation along the line of control in India's northeast remains tense. New
Delhi has recently announced plans to boost the number of troops in the region
by up to 50,000, as well as building airstrips near the border. Beijing has
warned that a military build-up would be destabilising for the region, but has
been
accused of increasing its own presence there. In September, India accused
Chinese
air and ground forces of violating its territory.
The new proposed mechanism would reinforce the existing arrangements, in which
ad hoc meetings of military officials, diplomats or expert groups are organised
to discuss any pressing issues. The new arrangement, however, will bring all
these groups together in a regular process. The inclusion of diplomatic
policymakers
is vital for keeping the situation under control and informing the central
governments of both states.
It is not clear exactly when the mechanism will come into force but it seems
that both sides acknowledge the need to reduce tensions there. Smoothing
relations
over the 3,500 km land border would be a positive note in the Sino-Indian
relationship, currently undergoing tensions over disputed maritime boundaries
in the
South China Sea and the Indian Ocean.
India is working closely with southeast Asian states as a counterweight to
China, which has alarmed smaller countries with its aggressive claims to
sovereignty
over the sea and its associated resource bonanza. Meanwhile India has watched
with concern as China builds up its economic and military presence in a 'string
of
pearls' around the Indian Ocean, including Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Pakistan.
Sources: The Diplomat, The Hindu