India carries out major works along contested border with China

The construction of surveillance facilities comes after the announcement of joint military exercises between India and the United States
Diplomatic observers say there is little prospect of relations between the two neighbours improving as they vie for influence

China-India relations

Kristin Huang

Published: 9:00am, 4 Sep 2022

Why you can trust SCMP

India is carrying out major infrastructure works along its contested border with China, according to local media reports.

The development is the latest indication of the parlous state of relations between the two countries after India announced joint military exercises with the United States and made a rare criticism of Beijing’s stance on Taiwan.

With eye on China, India launches second aircraft carrier

Last month, an Indian Army spokesman said the work was being carried out to improve surveillance along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Himalayas. Major Rajesh Thakre told the ANI news agency: “We are equipped with the latest technology of weapons and equipment.”

Two years ago soldiers from the two countries were involved in a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley and both sides have maintained a strong military presence in the area since then despite several rounds of talks to defuse tensions.

Late last month, the Indian high commission in Sri Lanka for the first time accused China of “militarising the Taiwan Strait”, marking a rare instance of New Delhi commenting on mainland China’s actions towards Taiwan.

Beijing carried out a series of unprecedented live-fire drills encircling the island after the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi despite strong opposition from Beijing.

The comment came soon after the row over the visit to Sri Lanka by the Yuan Wang 5, a Chinese satellite monitoring vessel that India said could be used for spying.

Before Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, the Indian Army confirmed its plans to hold drills with the United States less than 100km (60 miles) from the LAC, the de facto border.

The US-India drills will be held in mid-October at an altitude of around 3,050 metres (10,000 feet) in Auli in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and will focus on high-altitude warfare training, according to Indian media reports.

Diplomatic observers said there was little prospect that relations between the two countries would improve any time soon as they competed for influence in South Asia.

Chen Gang, assistant director and a senior research fellow at the East Asian Institute at the National University of Singapore, said: “India thinks its geopolitical influence in South Asia has been challenged by a rising China, which gives enormous economic aid and investment to some countries in the region.

PLA warns against ‘third party’ involvement in China-India border dispute

“The US Indo-Pacific strategy also plays a role in reshaping India’s perception of China’s presence in the region.

“The India-China rivalry has been further complicated by their border disputes and China’s strategy of projecting power and influence in the Indian Ocean region. South Asia is becoming a fiercely competitive battleground between the two countries.”

Rajeev Ranjan Chaturvedy, an associate professor in international relations from Nalanda University in India, said: “If we look at the current trajectory of India-China bilateral relations, the future does not look very promising.

06:24

Explained: the history of China’s territorial disputes

“China is pursuing a strategy to forge a new network centred upon China, organised according to Chinese interests and guided by Chinese values. China is flexing its economic muscle with the expectation of loyalty in return.

“So, in the near future India-China relations are directly related to China’s sensitivity towards India’s interests and Beijing’s behaviour.”