Centre for China Analysis and Strategy

CHINA-INDIA: BORDER INTRUSION

At the routine weekly press conference of China's Ministry of National Defence held on September 25, 2014, the correspondent from PTI asked: You are aware there is a stand-off at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) for the past three weeks or so, a little ahead of President Xi Jinping’s visit to India. There are hectic efforts between the two countries to resolve this stand-off. Has there been any progress in the dialogue to resolve it? Has the pull-back from both sides started?

　　And there is also an apprehension or perhaps a perception of India that these incidents of stand-off happening coinciding with the visits of high dignitaries from China especially. We’ve seen one happening with Premier Li Keqiang’s visit last year, and now again with President Xi Jiping’s visit. Is there a kind of pattern to this? That is what? It is better for the PLA or the Ministry of National Defense to clarify this?

　　And thirdly, we had the border defense agreement last year which is supposed to prevent this kind of incidents. Doesn’t this particular stand-off point that it has failed to deliver on the ground to prevent this kind of irritants?

　　Answer: Recently, President Xi Jinping paid a successful visit to India. During the visit, both sides issued a joint statement on building closer partnership for development. The two sides agreed that maintaining peace and stability in China-India border region is an important factor for further development and continued growth of bilateral relations between both countries.

　　It was reiterated that before the final settlement of the border issue, the two countries will jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border region. As everybody knows, the China-India border is not yet demarcated. It is quite natural for some incidents to happen along the China-India border. But this kind of incidents will not change the overall situation of good-neighbourliness and friendliness between China and India.

　　For the incidents in China-Indian border region, there are channels of smooth communication that are functioning quite well. The problems can be solved through dialogue and consultation. Both sides should manage the situation and maintain the peace and stability in the area.

　　To the recent incidents, both sides communicated with each other through the existing channels. The situation is currently under effective control. And the China-India border is peaceful.

　　Just now you also mentioned the border defense cooperation agreement signed between China and India. This agreement is of great significance for consolidating and improving the friendship and mutual trust between the two countries as well as effectively maintaining the peace and stability along the China-India border.

　　In this agreement, a lot of things are clearly regulated, such as the content of border defense cooperation, the working mechanisms, the channels for communication, the exchanges between the two border defense troops, and the methods to effectively manage and control the border disputes.

　　Of the contents written in the agreement, some of them have already been put into practice, while others are being implemented or in the process of being implemented. For example, when there is a stand-off between the two border defense troops, both sides should keep maximum restraint and both sides should conduct flag meetings in certain places along the line of actual control.

　　Currently, it is just because that both sides are acting in accordance with the spirit of the border defense cooperation agreement and other agreements that the incidents have been taken under effective control and the China-India border region remains peaceful. This again demonstrates the necessity and effectiveness of the border defense cooperation agreement and other agreements signed by the two countries.

　　I’d like to emphasize again that because the China-India border is not demarcated yet, it is sometimes inevitable that incidents happen. What’s more important is for both sides to implement relevant agreements signed by the two countries, boost mutual understanding and mutual trust, and make joint efforts to maintain peace and stability in China-India border region.