Kashmir Incident Strains China-India Border Relations

Sino-Indian border relation in the disputed region of Kashmir have become increasingly strained over the past week as China moved troops into an area each country claims as its own.

China and India have traditionally disputed ownership of several Himalayan border regions between the two countries. In 1962, a brief war was fought, and ended with a crushing Chinese victory. In 1996, an agreement was finally reached regarding the disputed regions, and a Line of Actual Control was put into place. “No activities of either side shall overstep the Line of Actual Control,” the 1996 agreement stated. In actuality, the line is ill-defined.

Last week, India claimed Chinese troops erected camp in the Ladakh region belonging to India. However, China denied violating Indian territory, according to BBC.

Due to their different definitions of the Line of Actual Control, troops from both sides have strayed into the disputed area in the past, but this is the first time troops from one side have erected camp in the area.

Following the supposed incursion from China, Ranjan Mathai, the Indian Foreign Secretary, called a meeting with Wei Wei, China’s ambassador to India, and asked for China’s cooperation in resolving the present dispute.

Salman Khurshid, India’s foreign minister, noted recently the incursion comes ahead of his planned visit to China on May 9, as well as China’s Premier, Li Keqiang’s visit to India on May 20.

“I believe we have a mutual interest and we should not destroy years of contribution we have put together,” Khurshid said, according to the Agence France-Presse. “I think it is a good thing that we are having a dialogue.”