India has warned that peace along its disputed border with China is critical to broader relations between the two countries, following reports of renewed military tensions in a remote area of the eastern Himalayas.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Tuesday that New Delhi considers developments along the border a serious matter and that the state of relations in the border areas would have a direct impact on wider ties between the two Asian powers.
The comments come as India and China work to repair relations after deadly clashes along their disputed frontier in 2020. They also precede a BRICS summit in New Delhi from September 12 to 13, which Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend.
Indian media outlet ThePrint reported that Indian and Chinese military patrols confronted each other in late July near Taksing, a remote village in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district, which borders Tibet. The report said Chinese troops later withdrew but returned in early August and established temporary positions.
China claims Arunachal Pradesh, which it calls Zangnan, as part of southern Tibet. India rejects the claim and considers the state an integral part of its territory.
An Indian defence spokesperson responsible for Arunachal Pradesh dismissed reports of a renewed military buildup, describing them as unsubstantiated and uncorroborated. China’s foreign and defence ministries did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Military patrols from the two countries occasionally confront each other along their 3,488 kilometre disputed frontier, although such incidents are not routine. The 2020 clashes in the western Himalayas killed 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops, severely damaging relations.
Tensions subsequently eased after Modi and Xi held talks in 2024 and agreed to end the military standoff and reduce tensions along the frontier. Both sides had previously deployed tens of thousands of troops and military equipment to the border.
India’s latest comments underline the sensitivity of the border issue as both countries seek to stabilise relations while managing their longstanding territorial dispute.
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