Two recent developments on the foreign policy front for India underlined the perils of strategic policy on the border issues with Pakistan and China.
First, China’s vehement opposition to the ongoing joint military India-US exercise on the ground that it violates two border agreements signed between New Delhi and Beijing.
China has opposed the joint Indo-US military exercises that are being held near the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The 18th edition of the India-US joint military exercise, called 'Yudh Abhyas,’ is currently underway in Uttarakhand, around 100 km from the LAC.
Zhao Lijian, spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry said: “The joint military exercise held by India and the US near the LAC violated the spirit of relevant agreements signed by China and India in 1993 and 1996 and does not help build bilateral trust.”
On Thursday, Arindam Bagchi, Indian foreign ministry spokesperson, hit back by saying that “no third country has a veto” on which country India is conducting a joint military exercise with.
Second, The Pentagon report released on Wednesday which says China has warned US officials not to interfere in its relationship with India.
The 2022 report which was released on Wednesday said of the Chinese position on the eastern Ladakh standoff: “Throughout the standoff, PRC officials sought to downplay the severity of the crisis, emphasizing Beijing’s intent to preserve border stability and prevent the standoff from harming other areas of its bilateral relationship with India.”
“The PRC seeks to prevent border tensions from causing India to partner more closely with the United States. PRC officials have warned US officials to not interfere with the PRC’s relationship with India.”
India’s position on the Kashmir question along the Line of Control (LoC) is that it is a bilateral issue that will be sorted out bilaterally between India and Pakistan without third-party interference while the latter wants to drag it to the United Nations.
So when China insists that no third country come between India and China to sort out the LAC border tangle, it is the same argument that India uses on the LoC.
And that is precisely what pushes India into a tight position from the strategic point of view.
Though the Kashmir question with Pakistan and the border imbroglio with China are two very different issues, yet drawing parallels can be jarring as the Chinese position seems to be alluding to.
What has brought this classic dilemma for India into focus is the annual report that the US’ Pentagon submits to the Congress.
To put it simply, China wants to restrict the India-China border issue to a bilateral relationship. On the other hand, India wants the Kashmir issue with Pakistan to be a bilateral one.
Beginning from May 5, 2020, a series of brutal and violent brawls between Indian and Chinese military personnel on the un-demarcated border stretching from eastern Ladakh to northern Sikkim had brought the two Asian giants to a head leading to a massive deployment of military forces and equipment along the entire border.
The climax, of course, was the June 15, 2020 Galwan Valley incident that took a toll of 20 Indian soldiers and reportedly four PLA men.
The standoff continues to be unresolved despite 16 rounds of talks at the senior military commander level.
