New Delhi : , India and China are locked in an intense hot-and-cold war over the Line of Actual Control since last year’s middle.Despite military and diplomatic talks to resolve the stand-off, China continues to be intransigent on its stand on Eastern Ladakh.China’s stubbornness in its position on Eastern Ladakh despite diplomatic and military talks that attempted to end the impasse continues despite these efforts.On October 23, China voted to adopt a new law on the protection and exploitation of its land border areas, which will take effect on January1, 2022.
China approved a new law regarding the protection and exploitation its land borders on October 23.It will go into effect January 1, 2022.The law was approved at the closing meeting of the legislative session of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.At the close of the Legislative Session of the Standing Committee of National People’s Congress, the law was adopted. According to Xinhua news agency, the law has the following broad principles.The law follows the broad principles of Xinhua’s news agency.
To begin with it stipulates that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the People’s Republic of China are sacred and inviolable.It begins by stating that sovereignty and territorial integrity of People’s Republic of China is sacred and inviolable.
The law also informs that China shall “take measures to safeguard territorial integrity and land boundaries and guard against and combat any act that undermines territorial sovereignty and land boundaries”.It also states that China must “take steps to protect territorial integrity and the land borders and defend against and combat any act which undermines these territorial sovereignty or land boundaries.” The new law also stipulates that the state shall take measures to strengthen border defense, support economic and social development as well as opening-up in border areas, improve public services and infrastructure in such areas, encourage and support people’s life and work there, and promote coordination between border defense and social, economic development in border areas.New law stipulates also that China shall “take measures to enhance border defense, support social and economic development, as well as open-up in frontier areas, improve public service and infrastructure, encourage and assist people, and foster coordination between border defense with social, economic, and economic development in those areas.
Notably, this provision seems to have been inserted to give finality to what China has already been doing in the last decade or so on its borders with India.This provision appears to be inserted in order to put an end to the work China has done over the past decade on India’s borders.
The next provision in the new statute states that China following the principle of equality, mutual trust, and friendly consultation, handle land border related-affairs with neighbouring countries through negotiations to properly resolve disputes and longstanding border issues.Next, the statute says that China will, in accordance with the principles of equality, mutual confidence, and friendly consultation handle land-border related-affairs between neighbouring countries by engaging in negotiations to resolve longstanding disputes.
It is ironical that China having violated and made null and void all the agreements signed in India since 1996, wants to handle border issue through negotiations.Ironically, China has violated all agreements made in India between 1996 and now wants to resolve border issues through negotiation.
The passage of this new border is clearly aimed at India.India was clearly targeted by the passage of this new frontier.
It needs no intelligence to decipher that China’s new Border Law has been passed with the aim of targeting India.You don’t need intelligence to see that China has passed a new Border Law with an intent to target India.
Additionally, by passing a new statute at this juncture, China seems to be hardening its position against India.China appears to be redoubling its efforts against India by issuing a new law at this moment.
Of interest is the fact that the law delineates the responsibilities of various state agencies, from the PLA to local authorities in guarding the borders.The law outlines the roles of different state agencies in protecting the borders, including the PLA and local authorities.This is interesting.Calling on the military to “guard against and combat any act that undermines territorial sovereignty and land boundaries”, the law says the Chinese military “shall carry out border duties” to “resolutely prevent, stop and combat invasion, encroachment, provocation and other acts”.
The law calls on the military to combat acts that threaten territorial sovereignty or land borders and asks them to guard against such actions.It also states that the Chinese military will perform border duties to prevent, stop, and combat invading, provocative, and other acts.
India’s response to China’s latest action relating to the LAC was immediate and firm and stated that China must not use legislation as a “pretext” to formalise the PLA’s actions initiated since last year to unilaterally alter the LAC.India responded immediately to China’s recent action regarding the LAC.It stated that China should not use legislation to legislate the PLA’s unilateral actions since last year.While the law says Beijing will negotiate with its neighbours to settle its borders, India aptly reminded China that the legislation had little bearing on the boundary issue as both sides are yet to resolve the issue.
The law states that Beijing will engage in negotiations with its neighbors to determine its border.However, India reminded China well that legislation has little to do with the question of the boundary as the two sides have yet to reach a solution.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry, responding to India’s statement, claimed the law would not affect implementation of existing agreements.Responding to India’s declaration, the Chinese Foreign Ministry claimed that India would continue with existing agreements.
The only other country for which the new Chinese law has an implication is Bhutan.Bhutan is the only country that this new Chinese law could have an impact on.Recently, both China and Bhutan signed a three-step roadmap to resolve the boundary issue.Both China and Bhutan recently signed a roadmap of three steps to address the issue.
How should one read China’s actions in the past one year or so?.What should we make of China’s past year? China could easily argue that the new legislation is an internal matter, just as India did when it abrogated Article 370 and created a Union Territory of Ladakh.China can argue that this new legislation is internal, as India did with Article 370 when it created a Union Territory called Ladakh.Recall that China had strongly opposed India’s move to change the status of Ladakh simply because the new official map printed by India showed the entire Aksai Chin area as being under India’s control.
China was opposed to India changing the status of Ladakh.This is because India printed a new map that showed all Aksai Chin as under India’s jurisdiction.
However, one must understand that there is a major difference between China’s domestic legislation and India’s legislation on J&K.It is important to understand the major differences between India’s J&K legislation and China’s.
In the former case, the new law first proposed in March 2020 was followed by the Chinese instigated crisis in Ladakh along the LAC.The Chinese instigated Ladakh crisis along with the LAC was triggered by the first law being proposed.India’s actions on the other hand were focused on internal reorganization and focused development.India, on the other side, focused its actions on internal restructuring and development.
By deploying over 60,000 troops close to the LAC in clear violation of the four border agreements in the summer of 2020, China gained a stamp of approval of its actions.China was given approval for its deployment of over 60,000 troops near the LAC, clearly in violation of four of the 2020 border agreements.
Passage of the new law is essentially a move to give domestic legitimacy to its military actions initiated in the summer of 2020.The new law was passed to legitimize the military action China initiated in summer 2020.
These actions in effect put paid to the logic that the border agreements signed earlier were still effective.This effectively reaffirmed the argument that earlier border agreements were still valid.
The last round of military level talks held on October 10, ended with both sides accusing each other for not living up to their promises.Both sides accused each other of not keeping their promises in the last round military-level talks, which took place on October 10.China blamed India for making “unrealistic” demands and India countered by saying the other side had offered no real proposals for a solution.China accused India of making unrealistic demands.
India responded by saying that the other side offered no solutions.
Significantly, the new law underlines the fact that China increasingly sees little space for compromise as far as its boundaries are concerned.
The new law is a clear indication that China sees no room for compromise when it comes to its borders.Even as India and China continue negotiations, the law is the latest signal that the state of affairs along the border, marked by continuing deployments by both sides in forward areas and a build-up of infrastructure, is likely to continue over the long-term.
The law, even though India and China are still in negotiations, signals that China is not content with the current state of affairs at the border.This is evident by the continued deployments of both sides to forward areas as well as the buildup of infrastructure.China’s game plan for South Asia is already falling into place.China is moving forward with its South Asia strategy.
It already has Pakistan in its pocket and countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka and Myanmar are being enveloped in China’s strategic sphere.China already holds Pakistan and other countries such as Sri Lanka, Nepal and Myanmar are now part of its strategic sphere.
Clearly, China has set its sights clearly on isolating India in South Asia.China clearly has its eyes set on India in South Asia.
The latest entrant to this club is Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is the latest member of this club.China has recently offered $31 million in emergency aid to Afghanistan and the first Chinese aircraft carrying humanitarian aid landed in Afghanistan on September 30.China recently donated $31 million to Afghanistan in emergency assistance.The first Chinese plane carrying humanitarian aid arrived in Afghanistan on September 30, 2018.
Just how aggressive China has been in the last year is also witnessed in the construction of villages along the LAC.The construction of villages on the LAC shows how aggressive China is in recent years.The effort clearly being to bolster Chinese presence in uninhabited areas along the border.
This is clearly an effort to increase Chinese presence along uninhabited border areas.This point is raised in the latest Annual Pentagon Report to the US Congress.
The latest Annual Pentagon Report to Congress raises this point.
The report states: “Sometime in 2020, the PRC (People’s Republic of China) built a large 100-home civilian village inside disputed territory between the PRC’s Tibet Autonomous Region and India’s Arunachal Pradesh state in the eastern sector of the LAC.”.According to the report, “Sometime around 2020, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) constructed a large civil village of 100 homes in disputed territory bordering the PRC’s Tibet Autonomous Region of India and India’s Arunachal Pradesh State in the eastern sector of LAC.”
The Chinese narrative on the LAC today is therefore hardening and one can visualise a movement towards a border settlement from a Chinese perspective.Today’s Chinese narrative about the LAC is hardening.One can see a Chinese-centric movement toward a border settlement.This much is clear.It is obvious.Without speedy clarification of the LAC and reduction of disputed zones, it is unlikely that the India-China boundary question will get resolved any time soon.
It is highly unlikely that India-China’s boundary issue will be resolved soon without swift clarifications of the LAC, and the reduction of disputed areas.
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