As Dragon becomes assertive towards Arunachal, India must reconsider its stand on Tibet

One of the most bitter truths of our times is that we have a powerful neighbour in the north which is infamous for its aggressive and assertive postures across the world and we still have an unresolved boundary dispute across our 3488 km long line of actual control (LAC) with it.   In the last few years, an economically ascendant China has clashed with India on multiple occasions at various locations that include Depsang (2013), Chumar (2014), Galwan Valley (2020) and Tawang (2022). Its multiple incidents of incursions at the LAC have been accompanied with a Salami-Slicing tactic where it is building infrastructure in contested territories to augment its claim over the same.   It’s a repeat of what China has already tried and tested in other theatres such as the South China Sea. In case of its dispute with India, it is building hundreds of border villages in the Himalayas under its “Xiaokang (well-off) villages” program to populate them with people loyal to the Chinese Communist Party.   This is not only in complete violation of the agreement that China signed with India in 2005 but China is also going to exploit this at a later date during boundary settlement by saying that sentiments of the local population must be respected- something that the agreement also provides for. In addition to its use of military force and salami-slicing tactics, China has also unleashed information warfare against India by appropriating Indian territory as its own through use of Chinese nomenclature and its propagandistic media outlets.   This week, China has released a list in which it has announced new names for places that lie in the Indian territory of Arunachal Pradesh. This is not the first time that China has resorted to this as it had released similar lists in 2017 and 2021 as well. China claims around 90,000 sq km of Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of Tibet and calls it Nan Zang or South Tibet. Arunachal Pradesh lies in the eastern sector of the LAC along with Sikkim. The LAC in the eastern sector is aligned along the  McMahon Line which was negotiated as a border between British India and Tibet in 1914 Simla Convention. Now a major source of friction is Chinese disagreement regarding the  McMahon line where it says that Tibet has always been a part of China with no actual actor capability of its own to be signing international agreements.   This was further complicated by China’s occupation of Tibet in 1951 which literally brought China to India’s doors as expressed by Sardar Patel in a letter to the then PM JL Nehru. Tibet’s invasion created further scope for Chinese expansionist designs as it also started claiming Arunachal as Chinese territory. In the 1962 war, China successfully captured almost all of Arunachal Pradesh which was known as North East Frontier Agency at that time but it withdrew from the captured territory in the Eastern sector while continuing to maintain control over the Western sector in Aksai Chin area in Ladakh.   However, in the last few years, China has started making assertive claims over the territory in Arunachal Pradesh as well. This includes publication of names in the Indian territory by the Chinese government, issuing of stapled visas to Indian athletes from the state and creation of villages in the region as pointed out by satellite imagery. While western sector has always been the more contentious border between India and China, what explains this Chinese interest in the eastern sector in Arunachal? According to noted Tibetologist, Claude Arpi, China is preparing ground in Arunachal Pradesh to make it a bargaining chip with India in any future border negotiation to make sure that India surrenders its claim on the Aksai Chin region.   This is akin to the past offer by Zhou Enlai to Nehru in 1960 where he offered a swap deal where India was to relinquish its claim on Aksai Chin in the western sector for China to recognise India’s claim in North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA) in the eastern sector. Nehru denied the proposal saying how could there be a swap when both the territories were Indian? The 1962 war and China’s occupation by force of Aksai Chin later brought the true essence of Zhou’s proposal out. Today, China is a $18 trillion economy in comparison to India’s $3.5 trillion economy with a massive military force and propaganda machinery on its side. While China has always used shrewd ways to approach its relationship with India, especially with regards to boundary disputes, India has surrendered too many bargaining chips in the past. This includes the colossal concession made by PM Nehru to China on Tibet when he signed an ‘Agreement between the Republic of India and the People’s Republic of China on trade and intercourse between India and the ‘Tibet region of China’ in 1954 tacitly admitting that Tibet belonged to the Chinese.   This was further affirmed by the Vajpayee government when it signed the joint declaration of Principles of Relations and Comprehensive Cooperation with his Chinese counterpart in 2003. India’s acceptance of Chinese claims in Tibet has emboldened China to lay claims elsewhere. It is for this reason that many experts are now suggesting India to portray Tibet as a disputed territory in its own maps and official versions to deter China. It will also be befitting for India to reconsider its commitment to the ‘One China’ policy since China blatantly disregards India’s own territorial integrity whether it is in Kashmir, Arunachal or Ladakh.   Meanwhile, a welcome change is India’s policy to develop its border regions with $1.8 billion spent on road construction between 2017-22, creation of new airports in the North-East region and around 2319 km long roads being constructed in Arunachal Pradesh alone. India has also launched a vibrant village program in border regions to counter China’s settlement of the Han Chinese population in disputed territory along the LAC. The author is a PhD in International Relations from the Department of International Relations, South Asian University. Her research focuses on political economy of South Asia and regional integration. Views expressed are personal. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. 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