India-China Ties Were Improving, but a Border Official’s Remarks Spark New Controversy

Tensions over their Himalayan border have caused fluctuations in relations between the two countries for several decades.

However, developments over the past few days suggest that the thaw in relations following the latest clashes in 2020 may not be as solid as it appears.

Fresh concerns emerged after the head of India’s border police said that, earlier this year, Chinese troops returned in large numbers to disputed areas along the Himalayan border and pitched tents several kilometres inside what India claims as its territory.

The remarks by Shatrujit Singh Kapoor, Director General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), have sparked a political controversy in Delhi.

First, it is considered unusual for a serving officer to make such statements. On sensitive border issues, the federal government usually presents its position through the Ministry of Defence or the Ministry of External Affairs.

Addressing a recent gathering of officers in Rajasthan, Kapoor said Indian and Chinese troops had clashed at several locations in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh and that tensions were continuing.

According to him, the confrontations began in July, but troops from both sides initially withdrew.

Kapoor said that a few days later, Chinese troops returned in greater numbers and “pitched tents around six to seven kilometres inside, according to India’s position on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).”

The LAC is an ill-defined boundary separating territories administered by the two neighbouring countries. India and China have disagreed over the 3,440-kilometre disputed border for decades.

China considers Arunachal Pradesh part of southern Tibet, a claim that New Delhi has consistently rejected, maintaining that the state is an integral part of India.

The dispute is among the complex issues India inherited after independence from British colonial rule in 1947. It also led to the brief but significant border war of 1962, in which India suffered a major defeat.

More than six decades later, large sections of the border remain formally undemarcated, and both countries continue to claim several areas.

The region’s difficult geography further complicates the issue. Changing river courses, lakes and snow-covered peaks make it difficult to establish a clear boundary line.

As a result, troops from the two countries sometimes come face to face in border areas, occasionally leading to violent clashes and diplomatic tensions.

The last major escalation along the border occurred in June 2020, when Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh. At least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers were killed in the incident.

It was the first fatal confrontation between the two countries since 1975. Following the clashes, opposition parties in India accused the government of losing territory to China, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has repeatedly denied the allegations.

The clashes severely damaged relations between the two countries, disrupted diplomatic engagement and affected trade and travel. After several rounds of negotiations, the two neighbours agreed in 2024 to take steps to reduce border tensions.

Since then, both countries have begun taking steps to restore direct flights and ease visa restrictions imposed after the clashes.

Chinese President Xi Jinping also visited India in September to attend the BRICS summit. It was his first visit to the country in seven years.

These developments raised hopes that relations between the two countries could return to normal on a broader scale. However, the recent reported confrontations along the border have once again raised questions about how much real progress has been made on the ground.

Following Kapoor’s remarks, India’s main opposition Congress party again accused the Modi government of making concessions to Beijing.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh wrote on X: “The prime minister and his entire government machinery are silent on this serious matter.”

The Indian government has not directly denied Kapoor’s claim that Chinese troops pitched tents several kilometres inside the section of the LAC that India considers its territory.

Last week, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “The situation in border areas is periodically affected when Chinese forces deviate from established patrolling practices.”

He said both countries were working through military and diplomatic channels to resolve the remaining issues, but provided no further details.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said Beijing had “consistently and strictly implemented” the relevant agreements reached with India and carried out “normal patrolling and administrative activities to safeguard territorial sovereignty” in border areas.

Experts say Kapoor’s remarks offer a rare glimpse into what they describe as China’s increasingly assertive military approach along the disputed border.

Shyam Saran, a former Indian foreign secretary who led several rounds of border negotiations with China in the mid-2000s, told the BBC that this pattern of Chinese activity at various locations along the Arunachal Pradesh border had been continuing for some time.

“These actions are not enough to trigger an immediate war, but they are certainly enough to change the facts on the ground,” he said.

Indian opposition parties have long accused China of expanding its presence in both Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, contributing to tensions.

Zhou Bo, a retired senior colonel in China’s People’s Liberation Army and an affiliate of Tsinghua University in Beijing, said both countries had learned lessons from the 2020 clashes in the Galwan Valley.

“Both sides should be more cautious to avoid such incidents in the future,” he said. He also noted that Chinese media had not published any reports about the recent situation in Arunachal Pradesh.

Tensions between India and China come at a time when their economic relationship is also complicated.

Despite their differences, the two countries remain major trading partners. Bilateral trade reached $151 billion last year. However, the trade balance heavily favours China, with Indian imports from China amounting to around $131 billion.

India still depends on Chinese imports for machinery, rare-earth magnets, electric vehicle batteries and certain pharmaceutical products.

Experts say this dependence means that tensions with Beijing are not confined to border areas but can also affect Indian industries and infrastructure projects.

Last week, China announced restrictions on exports of tunnel-boring machines used in metro rail and highway construction. Beijing said the measures were intended to protect national security and national interests.

Although the restrictions were not specifically aimed at India, they could affect the country’s infrastructure expansion projects.

Christopher Clary, a professor at the University at Albany in New York, told the BBC: “China’s policy towards India is designed to complicate its development, including its ability to acquire expertise in certain areas of advanced technology and manufacturing.”

A similar challenge emerged last year when China restricted exports of rare-earth magnets. These magnets are widely used in electric vehicles, smartphones, wind turbines and medical scanning equipment.

The move temporarily disrupted supplies to Indian industries, highlighting how Beijing’s control over critical raw materials can affect global supply chains.

India is now trying to expand its domestic capacity to produce rare-earth magnets. However, experts say establishing and developing the industry will require time and substantial investment.

For people living near the disputed border, the effects of tensions with China are much more immediate and practical.

According to Tongam Rina, a senior journalist with the Arunachal Times, residents of some border areas say Chinese incursions and encroachments have prevented them from accessing their grazing grounds.

“This is not new. This situation has been going on for a long time,” she told the BBC.

She said the situation had created a “sense of insecurity” among local residents.

Villagers often avoid returning to areas they now consider “off-limits”. Hunting and yak-rearing activities have also been affected, while local people do not know when they will be allowed to return.

The border dispute also has broader strategic significance for New Delhi. Indian policymakers increasingly feel that US President Donald Trump’s focus on expanding economic ties with China could limit Washington’s willingness to support India in the event of a potential future confrontation with Beijing.

Analysts say China may have little interest in a full-scale war with India, but it may see certain advantages in keeping the current dispute alive.

As China’s economic and military power continues to grow, Beijing may calculate that a prolonged stalemate would strengthen its position in any future negotiations.

For India, the recent border tensions are a reminder that improvements in diplomatic relations do not necessarily guarantee lasting stability along the frontier.