With respect to the South China sea, maritime territorial disputes and rising tension affirm the need for…

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With respect to the South China sea, maritime territorial disputes and rising tension affirm the need for safeguarding maritime security to ensure freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the region. In this context, discuss the bilateral issues between India and China.

Ghissu Editorial · Accepted Answer

India-China relations are strained by an undefined LAC, Arunachal claims, CPEC, a huge trade deficit, Brahmaputra dam plans and Indian Ocean rivalry, echoing China's defiance of the 2016 South China Sea award. Galwan in 2020, where 20 Indian soldiers died, remains the sharpest marker of this friction.

**Introduction**

The 2016 arbitral award in Philippines v. China rejected the "nine-dash line" under UNCLOS 1982, yet China kept militarising the South China Sea. The same assertive pattern shapes its bilateral ties with India, which defends freedom of navigation there.

**Territorial and Security Issues Between India and China**

SKETCH: comparison | Same Playbook, Two Theatres
a: South China Sea
b: India-China border
- Nine-dash line :: South Tibet claim
- Artificial islands :: Xiaokang border villages
- Rejects 2016 award :: Rejects McMahon Line
- Maritime militia :: Grey-zone patrols

1. **Undefined boundary**: Doklam (2017) and Galwan (2020), where 20 Indian soldiers died, show salami-slicing on land; the October 2024 patrolling deal eased but did not settle the dispute.
2. **Arunachal and CPEC**: China renames places in Arunachal Pradesh and issues stapled visas to its residents, while CPEC crosses Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in violation of Indian sovereignty.
3. **Maritime friction**: China objected to ONGC Videsh in Vietnam's blocks, and India's 2023 statement with the Philippines backed the 2016 award.

**Economic, Water and Diplomatic Issues**

1. **Trade imbalance**: India's deficit with China was about US$99 billion in 2024-25, with dependence on Chinese electronics and pharmaceutical ingredients.
2. **Brahmaputra waters**: A 60 GW Yarlung Zangbo dam approved in 2024, with no water treaty, threatens downstream security.
3. **Encirclement and blocking**: Hambantota's 99-year lease (2017) feeds "String of Pearls" fears in the Indian Ocean, and China blocked India's NSG bid in 2016 and Masood Azhar's UN listing until 2019.

**Conclusion**

India-China ties remain a managed rivalry: the 2024 border deal shows room for dialogue, but the core issues persist. Upholding UNCLOS and freedom of navigation from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean, while building strength at home and through the Quad, lets India protect its strategic autonomy.

With respect to the South China sea, maritime territorial disputes and rising tension affirm the need for safeguarding maritime security to ensure freedom of navigation and over flight throughout the region. In this context, discuss the bilateral issues between India and China.

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