NEW DELHI – India’s foreign ministry has emphasized that peace along its disputed border with China is crucial for the overall relationship between the two Asian neighbors, following reports of renewed military tensions in a remote Himalayan region. This statement marks New Delhi’s second such comment in less than a week, occurring as the two nations, which share a long and contested frontier, work to repair ties after deadly clashes in 2020. The renewed focus on border stability also comes ahead of a BRICS summit scheduled for September 12-13 in New Delhi, which Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend.
Randhir Jaiswal, the Indian foreign ministry spokesperson, stated on Tuesday during a media briefing, “In matters relating to the border areas between India and China, we have always emphasised in discussions with the Chinese side that we consider these issues as most serious.” He added, responding to a question about new military tensions, “We have also stated that the state of the border affairs will reflect on the state of our larger bilateral ties.” Reuters’ requests for comment from the Chinese foreign and defense ministries went unanswered.
Indian news website ThePrint reported, subsequent to the foreign ministry briefing, that Indian and Chinese army patrols had a face-to-face encounter in late July near Taksing, a remote border village in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district, which borders Tibet. China claims Arunachal Pradesh, referring to it as Zangnan, as part of southern Tibet, while India maintains that the state is an integral and inalienable part of its territory. The reported incident occurred 2.5 km (1.5 miles) inside territory controlled by India in the eastern Himalayas, with the Chinese patrol reportedly withdrawing later. However, the report also claimed that Chinese personnel returned to the area in early August and erected several tents.
Separately, a letter dated July 26 from a residents’ welfare body in the area, seen by Reuters, informed local authorities that Chinese personnel were rapidly expanding their presence by “occupying new and important places of our land situated at border area.” Despite these reports, an Indian defense spokesperson dismissed the claims, stating, “These (reports) are unsubstantiated and uncorroborated, without any verification to substantiate these claims.” The spokesperson responsible for Arunachal Pradesh added that such military confrontations between the two countries’ patrols along the disputed 3,488 km (2,167-mile) frontier are not uncommon, though not frequent.
Clashes between Indian and Chinese forces in the western Himalayas in 2020 resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops, significantly damaging relations between New Delhi and Beijing. Both sides had subsequently amassed tens of thousands of soldiers and equipment on the frontier until President Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks in 2024, agreeing to end the standoff and reduce tensions.
