19 July 2013

News Story: Despite Talks, No End in Sight for Indo-Chinese Border Dispute


By VIVEK RAGHUVANSHI

NEW DELHI — Even as India and China hold talks to resolve their boundary dispute, analysts here said Beijing will keep the issue from being solved as it looks to gain leverage while pursuing expansion in the region.

Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony discussed the issue with his Chinese counterpart, Gen. Chang Wanquan, during Antony’s official visit to Beijing July 4-7. The goal is to create a formal mechanism to improve security at the border pending the final settlement of the territorial dispute between the two countries, an official with the Indian Defence Ministry said.

China claims 92,000 square kilometers of territory India considers its own, and the border between the two countries is defined by a 4,056-kilometer Line of Actual Control (LAC), which is marked neither on the ground nor on agreed-upon maps.

Both countries have been building infrastructure and acquiring weapons and equipment along their borders.

Read the full story at DefenseNews