India-China Border Dispute: Tawang Border Clash In Arunachal Pradesh, All You Need To Know

The ongoing territorial conflict between China and India over the control of two relatively large and several smaller divided land areas is known as the India-China border dispute.

Sadly, there are disagreements about the entire boundary. Informally referred to as the McMahon Line in the Arunachal Pradesh region after its creator, Sir Henry McMahon, the line that divides the two nations. In the Jammu and Kashmir region, it is known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

White House's Take On the Current India-China Situation

According to the White House, the Biden administration is pleased that following fighting in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh, both China and India immediately ended their engagement.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated that the US closely follows the situation and encourages both sides to use current bilateral channels to negotiate disputed boundaries during a news briefing on Tuesday.

In Yangtse, close to the Holydip and Parikrama area on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), where the Chinese army side has been challenging Indian forces, the Chinese military has been acting aggressively.

"On December 9, 2022, People's Liberation Army (PLA) troops made contact with the LAC in the Tawang region, which was resisted by their troops with firmness and resolve. A few servicemen on both sides of this confrontation suffered minor injuries due to the face-off, the Army claimed in a statement following the incident.

India-China Border: Line Of Actual Control

The Line of Actual Control (LAC), a 3,488-km unmarked border between India and China, runs through the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh. It is challenging for both countries to confirm and define the LAC because the border needs to be completely delineated.

McMahon Line

The boundary disputes between China and India go back to the time before independence. The McMahon Line was drawn in 1914 as part of negotiations between delegates from Britain, Tibet, and the Republic of China to establish the boundaries between British India and China. China rejected the demarcation, whereas Tibet and British India agreed.
China has intermittently strengthened its claims over Tawang in recent years.

India won freedom from the British in 1947, while the People's Republic of China (PRC) was established in 1949. The new Chinese leadership likewise rejected the McMahon Line.
The Line of Actual Control, an informal cease-fire line between the two nations, marked the conclusion of the 1962 India-China war. However, following the defeat in the conflict, India began to reevaluate its diplomatic and security strategy with a concentration on its military. This also led to a rise in defence spending.

After the Indian Army started installing barbed wire along the border, the two nations again engaged in conflict in Nathu La and Cho La in September and October of 1967.

Role Of Tawang Monastery

The second-largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the entire world is the Tawang Ganden Namgyal Lhatse. It was founded in 1680-81 to honour the fifth Dalai Lama. The monastery, according to China, is proof that the neighbourhood once belonged to Tibet. China has referenced earlier connections between the Tawang and Lhasa monasteries to bolster its claim to the state. Additionally, the Dalai Lama reached India through Tawang in 1959 when he fled Tibet and spent some time at the monastery. In contrast, India reiterated its previous denials of these assertions and insisted that Tawang is an essential component of India.