The latest clash along the 2,100-mile-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China is a reminder that, even though tensions have receded since a bitter 2021 battle in the Galwan Valley, a simmering dispute remains a source of potential trouble. With both sides investing in advanced military systems and forward deployments in their contested frontier, the chances of a continuing series of skirmishes that could devolve into local or even full-blown conflict remain high.
In the past, unresolved border disputes fueled nationalist narratives and turned minor incidents into major conflicts, resulting in armed confrontations and civilian casualties. These conflicts also slowed or stalled economic development, hampered cross-border trade and exacerbated regional instability.
As nationalist governments have emerged in both countries, they have set greater store by sovereign assertiveness and global status, making the disputed border a theatre for displays of military might. The result has been a series of dangerously escalating clashes that resurfaced in 2013 and 2014, culminating in a 73-day standoff between India and China in 2017.
In the face of this ongoing distrust, New Delhi and Beijing should explore ways to assure mutual security along a heavily militarised frontier and mitigate the risk of skirmishes turning into full-blown clashes. They should create extra buffer zones in well-known contested areas and strengthen existing border protocols, such as a ban on firearms. And they should return to more regular dialogue at the highest levels, the best way to manage their differences and reduce tensions.