Pak.

Journal of Int’L Affairs, Vol 5, Issue 3 (2022) Sino- Indian Border Dispute and Impact …

SINO- INDIAN BORDER DISPUTE AND IMPACT ON

PAKISTAN
Waseem Abbas
Student of BS International Relations
University of Central Punjab
Lahore – Pakistan
[email protected]

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ziauddin

Dean
Faculty of Arts
Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences & Technology
Karachi – Pakistan
[email protected]
Abstract
Sino-Indian Border is the deep-rooted conflict between China and India. The impact of the Sino-
Indian border conflict is diverse and impressive on other territories like Pakistan and Bhutan. With
time, the tension on the Sino-Indian border is increasing. Since day one, India and China on
conflicting terms due to territory. After the war of 1962, a peace treaty was signed between China
and India by the United Nations. The war ended with a huge loss to the Indian army; however, the
Indians reported that they have achieve their goals. Apparently, it seems that the war just ended
but a new regime took birth; a cold war. The on-and-off war across the border continued and both
states continued to retaliate against one another. On the other side, Pakistan helped China in its
difficult times. The strengthening of their bonds resulted in serious tension against the borders.
The Indian media had deliberately portrayed Pak-China friendships negatively and considers
Pakistan as an equal participant in the Sino-Indian dispute. Gradually the presented opinion of
people shaped the mindset of the general public.

Keywords: Sino - Indian Border, China, India, Pakistan, Dispute.

Sino-Indian Conflict

The word Sino means ‘Chinese People’ or ‘China’; therefore, the dispute between China and India
is known as the Sino-Indian conflict. The undefined boundary disputes are making these two
nuclear power neighbours stand against each other. According to an estimate, China shares 3,488
kilometres of the long border with India. For more than decades, this border is known as the Line
of Actual Control (LAC). LAC is situated in western Ladakh from India and from China the region
of Tibet and Xinjiang. The sino-Indian conflict is a territory dispute, both states claim their right
to the Himalayan land. Based on ancestral history China claims the land as it was once ruled by

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their emperors and India claims the land as it was once ruled by the British government. (Garver,
2011)

The tension across the Line of Actual Control is increasing and there are more chances of serious
clashes between India and China. Here, Sino-Indian relations are working to minimize the impact
of future threats but the experts say that the conflict will remain the same until both countries settle
down to a single conclusion. Both states fought the war in 1962 and till that date, the conflicts
between them remained the same and the border is still demarcated. This land is unhabituated due
to the subzero temperature which makes the sustainability of human life much more difficult. The
dispute is over the infrastructure development by both sides. The development of the infrastructure
across LAC will add significant value to the Chinese and Indian economies. (Garver, 2011)

Line of Actual Control (LAC)

Based on the current knowledge, it is essential to understand the section of the Line of Actual
Control (LAC). The Sino-Indian Border is divided into three main sections.

1. Western- the Johnson line proposed by the British Government that extends from Kulun
Mountains to Aksai Chin and ends in Jammu Kashmir.
2. Middle- the McMahon line is the least conflicting LAC as both the states are standing on
one conclusion due to the efforts of Shimla conferences 1913-14. In those settings, the
Indian and Chinese representatives agreed on the dispute of retaining the Tibet boundary.
3. Eastern- the eastern boundary comes under the McMahon Line.

As a result of the recent conflicts between China and India, tension is raising against the McMahon
Line. It covers the Indian areas of Uttarkhand and Himachal Pardesh and Tibet autonomous region
from China side. This assignment will cover the dramatic impact of the Sino-Indian Dispute and
its impact on the economy of Pakistan. But first, let’s have a look at the history of the Sino-Indian
Dispute. (Damayanti & Karyoprawiro, 2022)

Difference between LOC and LAC

The Sino-Indian Boundary is named as Line of Actual Control. There is a huge difference between
the Line of Control and Lin of Actual Control. Line of Control is named to the defined restricted
boundaries such as the borderline India shares with Pakistan. This LOC is located on the territory
of Laddakh. While the Line of Actual Control is named for the boundaries that are undefined and
not clear such as the Sino-Indian border. To date there are conflicts in the Sino-Indian Territory
therefore the boundary shared by India and China is named LAC. (Bashir & Taj, 2022)

History

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The history of the Sino-Indian Conflict is a long journey. There are certain events that contributed
equally to the current sensitivity across borders. The history of the Sino-Indian dispute is grounded
from day one when these states came into being but things were not intense as they seem right
now. In 1949 China overthrow the Communist party and laid the basic foundation of the People’s
Republic of China. India got independence in the same decade and formed the basic foundation of
a democratic government. These independent states were in terrible states with deprived
economies and fewer resources to build themselves. Both states require admiration to promote
their independence. Therefore, China and India accepted each other as independent states. The
representatives of the states visited the countryside and even collaborated for sound future
relationships. But things never remained the same as they seem to be until the stability of the
People’s Republic of China. (Rabie & Hassan, 2022)

The Rise of Dalai Lama

The Chinese government extend their control over the state of Tibet. The government sent troops
to the territory of Tibet claiming the territory as a part of China. At this time the territory of Tibet
was semi-autonomous or semi-independent. In 1959, the Dalai Lama landed on the territory of
Tibet. Dalai Lama is the highest spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. He was the head monk of
Buddhism in Tibet. According to the customs, Dalai Lama is considered the head of the state. His
core responsibilities are to awaken the spirituality among his people and make the state habitable
for the people. When Dalai Lama landed in Tibet in 1959, the situation across the borders was
getting tense.

As soon as the Chinese troops took over the Tibet region, the Indian army raised their weapons
against the Chinese army; as the land was ruled by the British government. Considering the
potential threat in Tibet, Dalai Lama took refuge in India. His summation in the state results in
territorial dignity and alliance to respect the boundaries. His people supported him which resulted
in the signing of a peace treaty. India and Tibet agreed to respect each other’s boundaries and
consider Tibet an autonomous state. Here the confrontation between China and India began to
escalate. The two armies were against each other and china was convinced that India is taking
refuge from its acts by the alliance of the US and UK.

India was the first state to accept Dalai Lama and his refuges. It seems that the state of India is
secretly taking refuge in Tibet by declaring Dalai Lama the 14th monk of Tibet. The Tibetans stands
behind their new leader and accepted his regime. Apparently, it seems that India is secretly
planning with Dali Lama to take control over the territory of Tibet. But soon it seems that a new
hype of contradiction raised across the borders. Soon the rumours against the Beijing governance
spread across the Indian state. The Indians considered that China is secretly planning to take over
Tibet and soon China will take over Jammu and Kashmir. (Kowe, 2022)

The Era of the 1960s

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In the 1960s the relations between China and India turned out to be one of lack of trust and Indians
claimed that China is secretly planning an attack to take over their place. Consequently, the general
public was convinced at some point when the Chinese army attacked the Indian soldiers on the
Line of Control (LOC). Late in the 1960s the Indians took benefit of Dalai Lama and began to
construct a road in Tibet. Soon the concerns of China went true that India is taking refuge behind
the back of the Dalai Lama and using him for their benefit. The infrastructure development by
India was perceived as a red flag by the People’s Republic of China. The situation in Tibet began
to get worse and even more intense after each passing day.

As the development of the infrastructure was perceived as a threat to the boundaries and it was
totally against the agreement signed under the governance of Dalai Lama. The Chinese soldiers
moved to the Tibet borders for taking over control. Initially, the first step towards the conflict was
made by the Indians and what comes next were the consequences of their deliberate acts. (Ali &
Rahim, 2021)

Role of Indian Media

Immediately the war news from the borders escalated to the general public in India. To prove their
innocence, Indian media displays a heartbroken image of Chinese terrorism in the territory of
Tibet. The fact that they are the leading hand behind the terrible conflicts. In those times there were
summons of the following statements

“End Violence in Tibet.”

“Tibet is bleeding.”
“Stop Strangulation of Tibet.”
“Read Bear and Satellite Don’t Devour Small Nation”

The publishing houses of that time began to perpetuate the dark face of China. These terrible
statements were added in every newspaper and every telecast. The Indian media was producing
hatred towards the Chinese nation by portraying them as an evil nation that suppresses fragile
nations. On the other side, the Chinese were on the right pace the Indians have violated the
agreement and built the infrastructure in Tibet. Indians were gradually considering that ‘China
wants a Unipolar Asia and soon they will suppress the fragile nations.’ And here the Indian media
was actively playing its role in supporting the statement with various facts and figures. These
emergent situations were driving the whole scenario towards the deadliest war. (Bhonsale, 2018)

1962-Sino-Indian War

The historians predict that by 1960-62 there were considerable offensive steps that resulted in
bloodshed between the two states. By 1962 the efforts of Indians to prove the Chinese a terrible
and eccentric nation were working. While China was quite offended by the acts of Indian media
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and their infrastructure construction. A road was built to include Aksai Chin and Uttar Pradesh as
a territory of India. The Indian government claims that Aksai Chin is the territory of Ladakh and
they own their right to land. Once again, the peace treaty signed under the supervision of the Dalai
Lama was violated. India invaded the boundary and build the road without any consent. This act
was strongly retaliated by the Chinese troop claiming that Aksai Chin is part of China. (Abitol,
2009)

Failure of Shimla Conference 1960

By the 1960s the Shimla conferences ended without any solution. The representatives of India and
China sat together for the resolution of the conflict as both states were right on their pace. China
claims the land as it was once ruled by their Chinese emperors and India was claiming the land as
it was governed by the British government of India. The conferences ended without any fair
solution and Shimla conferences failed. By this time there was no Dalai Lama to make both states
agree to respect each other’s integrity.

In these difficult times, the Forward Policy added fuel to fire. Besides the road construction by
Indians, the Chinese preferred to intrude into the territory of Tibet and attempted to push the
boundaries just like the Indians did. Considering their authority, the Chinese troop began to
escalate along the McMahon Line. The Chinese troops administered various regions located near
the McMahon Line. The McMahon Line refers to the Uttar Khand place. It seems that the Chinese
were shutting down the borders and began to intrude on the territory of India. By this time, the
home minister in Delhi released a statement

“If the Chinese will not vacate the areas occupied by them, India will repeat the history and
will force China to drive out immediately at any cost.”
-Home Minister Delhi, 1962

The chief minister hired General B.M Kabul to take serious note of the intrusion of Chinese troops
across the McMahon line. Stepping back in the past in 1961 the home minister of India placed an
order forward to evacuate the Chinese troops. At this phase, the Indian and Chinese troops were
patrolling the borders. By mid-1962, China closed every single effort of peace towards the
situation. Collectively the whole situation became more intense. By October to November of the
same year, the armies stood against each other. India initiated a forward policy and decided to get
over the situation by confronting each other on the battlefield. There were minor incidents that
make the two armies stand in front of each other. (Kolmaš, 1991)

Thag La Confrontation

In Namka Chu, India made the first post named Dhola Post on the south of Thag La Ridge. The
Indian posts multiplied within a few days to curate the intrusion of Chinese troops against the
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McMahon Line. Soon these posts were supervised by 60 military troops to watch the activity of
Chinese troops against the border. Nehru stated that these are just the security measures to ensure
the malicious activity of Chinese troops. By October 1962, Nehru released a statement that if they
find any military Chinese soldier in their territory, he will be facing death consequences. His
statement increased the tension against the border.

On the other side, the Chinese motives grew stronger and stronger. In the first place, they
considered that Indians must be punished for claiming the territory of Tibet as their land. Secondly,
the military posts at Thag La Ridge and allowance to kill the military Chinese soldier at the first
sight. These were the strong indicators that added retaliation among Chinese troops. Taking an
account of the situation, the Chinese military prepared their posts opposite the Indian troops to
watch over their actions.

The armies went on confronting each other, and by October 1962 the two forces were in a
battleground. Chinese labelled that the Indians were ready to hit upon the war. The official
warnings from both sides were retaliated and quite alarming. The statement delivered increased a
certain hype in the whole situation. On the 16th of October, the final approval of the war came into
being and both parties decided to come up with the final solution on the battlefield. The Chinese
troops were larger in number as compared to the Indian troops. By the 20th of October 1962, the
Chinese troops were aligned across the whole length of Lin of Actual Control. On this date, the
Chinese troops attacked the Indian troops with their entire force and forced the Indians to leave
their posts immediately.

Day after another, the Indians were losing their lives with a heavy loss on their economy. And the
Chinese forced the evacuation of the Indian people and occupied the territory of Tibet, Aksai Chin
and Uttar Pradesh. Predicting their defeat, the Indians took refuge under the superpower of time;
America. They requested to end up the war by presenting the whole situation in the United Nations
by presenting that the alliances with the two states can be the prediction of World War 3. The UN
gave orders and the war came to an end. China will free the border and both states will maintain
the border integrity. (Maxwell, 1970)

War Alliances

Whenever there is a war knocking at the door, the enemies align themselves with their alliances to
build a strong army that guarantees their success. In the Sino-Indian battlefield, it might seem that
the two countries were against each other, but behind the scenes, there were some trustworthy and
reliable alliances supporting them. The popular alliances of the 1962 Sino-Indian war were as
follows.
➢ India got alliances with the Soviet Union, Israel and Bhutan.

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➢ China was accompanied by their trusty alliance Pakistan. Pakistan supported China during
the war. The cost of this alliance was quite high, and Pakistan paid it back with extreme
terrorism within their state.

The Chinese military stated that they have achieved their goals in Sino-Indian War. The Chinese
buried the hopes of Nehru in the ground and successfully made them pay for their retaliating
comments. While the Indians hypothesized that Pakistan is one of their great enemies by standing
beside China. Further, the Indians paid higher military awards to their military men who sacrificed
their lives for their homeland. (Abitol, 2009)

Sino-Pakistan Agreement 1963

In 1963, the Sino-Pakistan agreement was signed among the representatives of the two states. The
agreement aims to consider China's authority over the territorial state of Jammu and Kashmir.
Leading towards the formation of the world’s largest high-altitude border named the Khunjrab
Pass. The treaty was signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China,
Chen Yi and the Minister of External Affairs of Pakistan, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Pakistan allotted
approximately 5,300 square kilometres to China. According to the agreement a fair boundary
distinction was considered by the states. The development of the Khunjrab pass infrastructure
accelerated the bilateral benefits for both states. The impact of this treaty was as follows:

1. Pakistan recognized the Chinese sovereignty in Ladakh and this acceptance imprinted a
positive impact on the international relations between China and Pakistan.
2. The economic corridors were opened for both states. The concept of mutual trade was
founded that will upgrade the economy of Pakistan and China.
3. The Sino-Pakistan agreement ended the cold war between China and India.
4. The agreement resulted in the foundation of the world’s largest high-altitude highway; the
Khunjrab Pass. This highway is also famous for its name which is the Friendship Highway.
5. Pakistan raised its vote in favour of China for permanent membership in the United
Nations. To reciprocate efforts of Pakistan, China is always there to help Pakistan through
thick and thin. (Syed, 1969)

After War Impact on Sino-Indian Border Conflict

Right after the war of 1962, things were still high. India and China lose thousands of precious lives
in this war and ultimately the war came to an end by ceasing fire. The raising conflict was still the
McMahon Line. After the international involvement of the United Nations, both states came
forward to join hands. The mystery of land occupation in the north is still a mystery who claims
the land?

On this behalf, both states joined hands and signed many agreements together to promote harmony.
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Initially, they agreed that the armies of each state will patrol by maintaining the integrity of the
Line of Actual Control (LAC). Eventually, this solution worked for more than three decades.
Finally, it seems that the tension against the border began to shut down. Things were working in a
harmony and the soldiers were working at their pace until a new conflict raised in 2013. (Westcott,
2022)

Sino-Indian Border Dispute and Economic Ties

In 2013, one of the Indian soldiers destroyed one of the Chinese-built entities in their territory in
Demchok Valley near Ladakh and a similar event happened in 2017. The Indian soldier released a
statement that they destroyed the Chinese-built entity as they found it in their territory. It seems
that history will eventually repeat the events. In 2017, near the Dhoklam Plateau, a border crisis
intervention took place between China and Bhutan. China brought its heavy machinery to build a
potential highway that will give him access to the Chicken Neck or the region named Siliguri
Corridor. Bhutan called Indian forces to help them, but India did not retaliate against China. They
allowed China to build the Siliguri Highway as it will bring bilateral benefits to the states. The
highway will increase the passage of trade and high military machinery. (Hussain, 2022)

Bhutan allowed the Indian troops to enter their country and there was no military summation by
this time. Until now everything seems perfectly fine. In 2019, the leader of China visited India and
after a short duration, the Indian prime minister was invited on an official visit to China. These
official visits presented very positive and promising relationships between the two nations. By this
time, China become its largest trade partner of India. Both states were on good terms and shared a
very professional environment with each other. During this duration, many agreements were
signed between China and India to strengthen their economic ties. China invested a handsome
amount in the telecommunication sector of India. The mutual collaboration of these two states
results in the introduction of 5G networking in India. Both states equally benefitted from their
alliances. (Hussain, 2022)

Impact of Global Pandemic 2020

In 2020, the global pandemic changed the entire game. Besides engulfing precious human lives,
the states were losing their economic stability. Consequently, the trade went down and the whole
attention of states went towards saving their people by taking appropriate measures. The first case
of Covid-19 was reported by Wuhan, China and soon the virus travelled to India. Without any
calculations, India jumped to the conclusion that the virus is intentionally spread by China to hit
the entire economy of the world. The Indian media began to target the Chinese government for the
spread of the deadliest virus around the world. Soon the Indian media replaced the name Covid-
19 with the “Chinese virus.” These unjustified claims were constantly ruling over the front page
of newspapers. Looking forward to the consequences, World Health Organization (WHO) released
a statement that the virus is an air-borne specie and is transmitted through the air.
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At that time rumours about the Chinese virus, settled down to some extent but there was something
terrible knocking at the door. In May 2020, China surprised India with their heavy troops in the
region of Laddakh. Surprisingly, at the same time, Pakistan occupied Kashmir; as reported by the
Indian media. The surprisingly secret alliances of China and Pakistan turned out to be a huge
pressure across the borders. The Indian troops retaliated by destructing the Chinese infrastructure
across the McMahon Line, the disputed land. The situation leads towards the Sin-Indian
skirmishes. China released a statement that India is entirely responsible for the current situation.
(Sahakyan, 2020)

2020-2021 Sino-Indian Skirmishes

Officially, the skirmishes started on May 5, 2021, when India deliberate push China into a terrible
war across the borders. The actual story began when the Chinese troops stopped the Indians for
the infrastructure construction of roads beside the disputed land of Latah and Tibet's autonomous
region. The Indians objected to the Chinese development of the road across the Gallwan River.
(wikipedia, 2022) The development of infrastructure was made without the consent of Chinese
authorities. It seems that history itself was going to spin. The on-and-off skirmishes continued and
after a few weeks, the Indian military authorities released a statement that Chinese troops have
killed about 20 of their soldiers in the Gallwan valley. Besides the resistance, India was standing
firm on its back and continued the development of the infrastructure. The development of
infrastructure strengthens the economic grounds and there is a possibility that India might use that
road for military purposes. (Zhang, 2022)

Besides the direct participation in the rise of the Sino-Indian dispute, it is considered that the US
was also involved to initiate those conflicts between the two nuclear powers of the world. During
June, the Gallwan check post was under serious threats. The Indian army claimed that the Chinese
troops are making their best efforts to take occupy certain areas across the Gallwan valley. While
Chinese media reported that they stopped Indians to build across the Gallwan River and the Indians
were the ones to start off with the conflict. A minute conflict turned out to be a serious threat and
approximately 20 of the Indian soldiers lost their lives here the journey of skirmishes began.
(Zhang, 2022)

Pangon Lake

China was increasing the military presence in the Gallwan valley and the Indians were getting
themselves prepared for the war. It seems that once again the deadliest war is knocking at the door.
The tension shifted to Pangon Lake. In July 2020, the Indian military forces released a statement
that of the recent skirmishes, the tension across the Sino-Indian Border Dispute is increasing by
100-200 fires from both sides. On 29-30th August 2020, the Indian army claimed that they have
recorded the movement of Chinese troops in the Ladakh village by midnight. The village is named
Chushul and the whole incident revolves around the Chushul Sector. India claimed that these
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movements were made at midnight and recorded by satellites. The investigation revealed that
China was getting prepared for a big war. (Zhang, 2022)

Reporting the Main Incidents

On 4th September 2020, the Moscow conference brought the two alliances for one-on-one
interaction. The reporters reported that both the alliances shared an aggressive tone towards each
other and it seems that both states have decided to put the situation to an end by confronting each
other on the battlefield. The battlefield was all set and PLA troops reported the presence of an anti-
aircraft gun heading towards the Black Top. On 7th September 2020, the movement of Chinese
troops was again reported by the Indian army. These skirmishes continued until 20th January 2021.
During this tenure, the Indian and Chinese armies reported various conflicts and even the deaths
of their soldier. The statistics say that the Indians bear the loss of their soldiers significantly
compared to the Chinese troops. The conflicts among these rivalries came to an end with the efforts
of the United Nations. The representatives from both sides settled down and immediately decided
to cease the fire. They ceased fire and were once again proposed by the People’s Republic of China
as they were not in a state of dragging the whole situation. The troops decided to continue
patrolling along the Line of Actual Control. (Zhang, 2022)

The situation in Kashmir in 2020

On the other side, the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was getting worse day after the other. The
tension across the LOC was increasing as India claims that Pakistan is on the urged to occupy
Kashmir. The independence movement in Kashmir was on hype. The minister of Jammu and
Kashmir declared that they want to be a part of Pakistan. The independence movements were on
hype in order to suppress that hype the Indian troops occupied Kashmir and began to use their
military force to suppress the voice of Kashmiris. They used weapons against them and it resulted
in the deaths of approximately 300 of deaths were reported. (Peng, 2019)

Taking an overview of the whole situation Pakistan took a stand by the Kashmiris and draws the
international attention of the United Nations towards the cruelty of Indians. By this time, it seems
that India is the only state dragging the states towards war. Kashmir was bleeding and by this time
the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr Imran Khan delivered a deliberate speech on the platform of
the United Nations. He was the one who showed the true face of India to the whole world. Mr
Imran Khan demanded peace and justice for the people of Kashmir as they have suffered a lot
during the recent decades. There is a need to put the terrible and sacrificing journey of Kashmiris
to an end. The standby of Pakistan for the Kashmiris was perceived as a threat to Indian autonomy.
It seems that the two alliances have joined their hands once again to follow up a stand against the
state of India. The whole situation was placing lots of pressure on the Indians. (Peng, 2019)

This reason can be another significant justification for placing the Sino-India skirmishes to an end.
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Meanwhile, India banned Chinese products and even telecasts. The attempt shows that India
himself was cutting its ties with China. However, China claimed that India is having powerful
allies like Russia and Israel. While India presented his view that China is getting in the form of
war by the alliance of Pakistan. (Peng, 2019)

Current Situation of Sino-Indian Dispute

The current situation of the Sino-Indian dispute is entirely dependent upon the aims of China
towards the development of infrastructure. Under the umbrella of cold war conflicts, China began
to upgrade its economy by introducing a bilateral benefit policy. China wants a unipolar Asia this
was the claim of India. Rhetorically, looking at the situation, it seems true approximately. China is
getting closer to other countries by offering them a bilateral benefit; the main goal of CPEC. The
China-Pakistan Economic Corridor aims the development of roads and other infrastructures in
Pakistan for upgrading the economy. Pakistan will be giving its land for construction; the Chinese
will be investing and a mutual trade will be carried by the assistance of those developed
infrastructures. Gradually, China is seeping the boundaries of its neighbouring states and soon the
entities will merge into a single state just like the US. (Hussain, 2022)

The current situation of the Sino-Indian Dispute is at risk-says the expert. China is expanding the
CPEC project and there is a possibility that the two states will be on the same ground. The reason
for the conflict is that there are no authentic resources or maps that claim the land; either it belongs
to China or India. India deliberately believes that sooner or later, China will sink into its boundaries
and will take over India. While Xi Jinping is making his best efforts to make China the utmost
superpower. Therefore, the main concern of the People’s Republic of China is to strengthen the
economic ties and build bilateral relations with her land neighbours as faster as possible. (Hussain,
2022)

How Pakistan Got Involved in the Sino-Indian Dispute?

There are potential reasons that are quite convincing that how Pakistan got involved in the Sino-
Indian Dispute. Following are the reasons that will help you to understand the basic consequences
of the involvement of Pakistan in the whole story.

1. Pak China Friendship

India raised his eyebrows at the friendship of Pakistan and China. When China got independence
Pakistan was the first to accept China as an independent state. Whenever China needs military or
any kind of support Pakistan was standing beside China. Soon the relations between the two states
grew stronger and took shape of brotherhood relationships. The efforts of Pakistan were
reciprocated. Besides, India was having a serious conflict with Pakistan on the dispute of Jammu
Kashmir. Whenever China gets into a war with India, Pakistan took the first place to stand beside
China as a powerful and trustworthy reliance. (Freddy, 2020)
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2. CPEC
One of the significant reasons behind the involvement of Pakistan in the Sino-Indian conflict is
China Pakistan Economic Corridor. It might seem that a symbol of friendship, China is investing
billions of dollars in the development of infrastructure in Pakistan; but the reality is far from what
it seems. China is initiating the concept of bilateral relationships and is working on strengthening
its economy. India perceives these economic ties as a serious threat towards its integrity. India
assumed that if they hit a war with Pakistan, China will be the one standing behind their back and
they will lose ultimately. (Hussain, 2022)

3. Agreement of 1963
The agreement of 1963 between China and Pakistan was clear proof of their unbreakable bond.
Pakistan accepted the Chinese claim on the land of Jammu and Kashmir. China invested in the
development of Khunjrab Pass also known as the friendship highway. India perceives this
agreement as a red flag against its territorial integrity. India claimed Pakistan allowed China to
have direct access to the Indian border and allowed Chinese military assistance. (Garver, 1996)

4. Strong Alliances
China and Pakistan are considered strong alliances; such as in the time of war or any haphazard
event both states helped each other. During the Sino-Indian war of 1962, Pakistan helped China
by offering them financial and military alliances. The efforts of Pakistan were reciprocated when
China helped Pakistan in the war of 1965. Coming to the recent events of the 2005 earthquake in
Pakistan, China was the first state to help Pakistan. In times of ambiguity, both states have been
standing for each other. It shows the remarkable friendship between China and Pakistan. (Singh &
Singh, 2019)

5. United Nations Membership Vote

Pakistan was the first state to vote for China for permanent membership in the United Nations.
This vote proved itself to be a win-win situation for China. The People’s Republic of China placed
this favour on the top and went on benefitting Pakistan in ups and downs. China is a permanent
member of the United Nations and is securing a sound position in the international firm.

The crux of the whole story is that the alliance of China and Pakistan is a perceived red flag for
Indians. As India shares a serious conflict with Pakistan on the territory of Jammu and Kashmir
and with China, his conflicts are on the territory of Ladakh and Tibet autonomous region. (Singh
& Singh, 2019)

Conclusion

Sino-Indian Conflict comes with a grounded history of democracy and a need for power. The main
reason behind the conflict is unmarked land boundaries. Both states claim that the land along the
Line of Actual Control belongs to their ancestors. There is a mixed history of the land dispute.
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Chinese claimed the land as it was ruled by the Chinese emperors and India claims the land as it
was ruled by the British Government. Both states are at their right pace. There are on-and-off
conflicts across the Line of Actual Control as India and China are on the urge to boost their
economy by developing their infrastructure. Each time when the tension across LAC increases the
war threats got a huge hype.

Findings

The in-detailed research on the Sino-Indian conflict teaches that power is the centre of the conflict.
Both states claim the land to strengthen their economies. The causal factor of this war was the
absence of any rhetorical proof such as a defined map. There was a rough idea about the land
therefore, there was no defined claim on the land. However, China took its first step toward
establishing economic ties with India. But the Indian alliances won’t let these economic ties last
longer. A minute conflict on the sides results in a terrible war. Besides the conflicts, Indian media
plays a significant role in adding fuel to fire by banning Chinese products and cutting their ties
with the Chinese company. These false efforts portray a negative impact on the Chinese. Therefore,
there is a need to fix don the problem with a rigid solution. For this purpose, a third party should
come forward to resolve the matter.

Suggestions

The only solution to the problem is to find a fair solution. Based on my research, the following are
the suggestions to consider as a solution to the Sino-Indian Conflict.
➢ Find a fair solution by marking a fair boundary between China and India.
➢ Besides marking a fair boundary between the two alliances, it is necessary to make them
respect each other and their territorial entities.
➢ With the collaboration of the United Nations, a peace treaty can be signed for the initiation
of sound relations between these two alliances.
➢ Indian media must watch their tone before spreading any false rumour to the public.
Besides binding the economic ties with India, the conflict remained the same. the experts suggest
that if there is no possible solution driven for the Sino-Indian Dispute, the two states will remain
at the urge of war. However, there is always a cold war between China and India. There is quite a
low possibility that this nuclear power will move towards friendly and trustworthy relationships;
however, it can be seen as the cold war will continue among them unless they come up with one
solution. Both the neighbours are nuclear powers and if there is a war then we are at threat of
serious nuclear destruction.
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