Winter is coming and China-India border dispute shows no sign of resolution, Indian analysts warn

The stand-off between Chinese and Indian troops along the Line of Actual Control is in its 13th week, and disengagement seems to have stalled

Indian observers say it may stretch into the harsh Himalayan winter, when poor visibility may spark more clashes and lives may be lost to the cold

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An Indian fighter jet flies over Leh in the Ladakh region in late June. The border dispute between India and China may continue into the winter months, with poor visibility and cold temperatures adding additional risks to troops. Photo: AFP

Published: 9:30pm, 28 Jul 2020Updated: 12:08pm, 29 Jul 2020

The border stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops is now in its 13th week, surpassing the 72-day impasse at the Doklam plateau in 2017.

There have been nine rounds of diplomatic and military talks, including two meetings between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar, as well as Wang’s talks with India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

On Tuesday evening, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said the disengagement between both militaries “at most places” along the border was complete but hinted that the situation was not entirely resolved yet.

At least 20 Indian troops and an unspecified number of Chinese soldiers were killed in a clash on June 15 in the Galwan river valley along the 3,488km undemarcated border known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, resulting in a massive troop and artillery build-up by both countries.

“The current situation continues to develop in the direction of easing and cooling,” Wang said.

He added that the two sides would continue to hold talks with each other at the military level.

“We hope that the Indian side and China will meet each other halfway, implement the consensus reached by both sides and jointly maintain peace and tranquility.”