India-China Border Tensions Resurface in Arunachal Pradesh

New Delhi, India — A field survey report by local politicians allied with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government stated that China has prevented Indian troops from accessing key patrol points and has engaged in land encroachment in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.

The report immediately triggered political outrage in New Delhi, with the opposition criticizing Modi for remaining silent over allegations of Chinese border incursions over the years.

Survey Findings

The four-member survey team, dispatched by the People's Party of Arunachal (PPA) to the Upper Subansiri district—a rugged and remote mountainous area of Arunachal Pradesh—found that from April to October annually, due to severe weather conditions including flash floods, heavy rains before and during the monsoon, and landslides, Indian troops are unable to patrol the Taksing region. Meanwhile, Chinese forces remain active along the border during this period, raising questions about India's infrastructure readiness.

Kaling Jerang, Vice President of the PPA, said locals told the team that Indian troops abandoned the Shera 5 patrol point after a clash with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in 2023. He added that residents are angry over the loss of traditional ancestral hunting grounds.

“The field reports of these encroachments are undeniable,” Jerang told Al Jazeera. “These incursions are not new or sudden but have expanded gradually over the years, while the BJP governments in New Delhi and the state have turned their backs on the people of the border region.”

Last month, the Nah Welfare Society (NWS), a local tribal organization, also wrote to government officials stating that Chinese encroachment has “increased manifold with the intention to occupy as much land as possible.”

India and China Respond

The Indian Army dismissed media reports of Chinese encroachment as “incorrect and baseless.” However, India's Ministry of External Affairs did not outright deny them.

Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters that New Delhi has always emphasized in discussions with China that India regards border issues as most serious and maintaining peace and tranquility in these areas is paramount. He added that the border situation reflects the broader state of bilateral relations.

On the Chinese side, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the China-India border situation is “generally stable,” confirming that the two countries held their 36th meeting on border affairs last week. He stated both sides agreed to maintain communication through diplomatic and military channels and jointly preserve peace and tranquility in the border region.

Long-Standing Border Dispute

India and China share a 3,488-km border running along New Delhi's northern and eastern frontiers, passing through regions such as Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. Much of this border is disputed.

The dispute's roots trace back to 1914 when British India and Tibet (then not under Chinese control) signed the Simla Convention, delineating the border along the so-called McMahon Line. After gaining independence in 1947, India considered the McMahon Line as its border with China. But China, under Communist Party leadership since 1949, rejected this line, citing non-participation in the Simla Convention negotiations.

Beijing claims the entire state of Arunachal Pradesh and calls it “South Tibet.” China also controls Aksai Chin, part of the disputed Kashmir region claimed by both India and Pakistan.

The two nations fought a war in 1962. Subsequently, they agreed to treat the Line of Actual Control (LAC) as the de facto border while continuing negotiations. However, experts note that the two sides have not even agreed on the exact location of the LAC, allowing patrol forces from each side to enter areas claimed by the other.

In recent years, tensions have escalated at various points along the LAC. In June 2020, Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed with improvised weapons in the Galwan Valley, Ladakh, resulting in at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers killed. Earlier, confrontations occurred at Naku La (Sikkim) in May 2020 and January 2021. In 2017, a 73-day military standoff took place at the Doklam plateau—where the borders of China, India, and Bhutan meet—after Beijing extended a military road.

According to Professor BR Deepak (Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi), these issues always carry escalation potential. “A small incident can lead to major escalation, as happened at Galwan,” he said.

Trade Relations Still Thriving

Despite border tensions, bilateral trade has surged over the past decade. According to the Indian Embassy in Beijing, two-way merchandise trade reached $151.1 billion in fiscal year 2025-26, more than double the $71.45 billion in 2016-17.

India's imports from China rose from $61.28 billion (2016-17) to $131.63 billion (2025-26), while exports increased only from $10.17 billion to $19.47 billion over the same period.

Saheli Chattaraj, assistant professor at Somaiya Vidyavihar University (Mumbai), described current India-China relations as “managed competition” rather than true normalization. She said: “China seeks to maintain the asymmetry of power along the disputed border while reminding India that improved bilateral ties do not change the fundamental strategic landscape.”

Praveen Donthi, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group (ICG) based in Brussels, remarked that “India and China are destined to be competitors. The unresolved border dispute will continue to haunt relations until it is resolved.”

This development comes amid US President Donald Trump's imposition of trade tariffs targeting both New Delhi and Beijing, and just weeks before Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit India for the BRICS summit hosted by New Delhi on September 12-13.