India and China seem to be slowly re-establishing their relations after years of border tensions, but there are still many issues and misgivings. A warming in bilateral relations was suggested by the visit of two top Indian officials to China in late January.
As part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meetings in June, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval both paid separate visits. In addition to China, Russia, Iran, and Pakistan, the SCO is a ten-member Eurasian security alliance. This was Singh’s first trip to China as a top Indian official in five years.
A disputed boundary that is 3,440 km (2,100 miles) long and poorly defined is at the centre of tensions between China and India. The line frequently fluctuates due to rivers, lakes, and snowcaps along the border, forcing soldiers into close quarters at various places and occasionally igniting confrontations.
When the two troops engaged in the first lethal conflict between them since 1975 in the Galwan region in Ladakh in June 2020, the situation worsened. Four Chinese soldiers and at least 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives. Since then, there have been other instances of military standoffs.
However, it seems that ground realities and geopolitical uncertainty have pushed the two sides to agree on a number of subjects. They came to an understanding late last year over the primary issues of contention in Ladakh.
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