[News Terms] The Actual Line of Control (LAC) Igniting the India-China Dispute

A De Facto Border Stretching 3,488km
Despite the 1962 War, Large and Small Clashes Continue

Security forces on border duty on the highway leading to Ladakh in northern India.
[Image source=Reuters·Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyunjung] Indian and Chinese troops engaged in the largest brawl at the border since the so-called 'stick clash' in 2020, Indian media reported on the 12th (local time). Reports indicated that hundreds of soldiers were involved in the brawl. Some soldiers were injured, but both sides are said to have immediately withdrawn from the area.

The border dispute between India and China is not a recent issue. At its core lies the 'Line of Actual Control (LAC).' The LAC is the India-China boundary line based on the 'McMahon Line,' which was delineated in 1914 by three parties: Britain, which was then colonizing India, Tibet, which was independent at the time, and the Republic of China. The line stretches 3,488 km.

As conflicts continued, the two sides fought a war in 1962 and tentatively agreed on the LAC as the boundary line between the two countries in 1996. However, due to geographical features such as rivers and lakes, some areas have ambiguous boundaries, leading to ongoing conflicts in Kashmir, Sikkim, Arunachal, and Pradesh. Both sides have held military talks and taken measures such as troop withdrawals, but tensions have rarely subsided.

Before this incident, the two sides clashed repeatedly in the disputed Ladakh region in 2020. In May, soldiers from both countries engaged in a brawl around Pangong Lake. In June, a bloody incident known as the 'stick clash' occurred in the Galwan Valley. The Indian Army reported that 20 of its soldiers died, while the Chinese side did not disclose the extent of its casualties. However, it is estimated that dozens of casualties occurred on both sides, escalating tensions. This recent clash is the largest since then, drawing attention to the future trajectory of the border dispute between the two countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.