China and India have a lingering border dispute. Military experts in both countries say that a series of incidents over the past few months have shown that the border situation is unpredictable and that miscalculations on either side could lead to a war that neither country wants.
In June, Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the Ladakh region, killing 20 Indian soldiers; the Chinese have not released the number of Chinese casualties.
Last week, a new dispute broke out between the two armies in the area. Both sides accuse each other of crossing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on the border and deliberately launching provocations.
Lt. Gen. Hooda, who was commander of the Indian army’s Northern Command from 2014 to 2016, said, “The situation on the ground is very dangerous and could get out of control.”
Wang Lian, a professor of international politics at Peking University, said both China and India are showing restraint, but both sides are preparing for the possibility of war.
The defense ministers of India and China met in Moscow last Friday (Sept. 4) in an attempt to ease growing tensions along the disputed border in the Ladakh region.
However, official Chinese media reported that Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe accused the Indian side of being solely responsible for the border tensions at the meeting, saying that China cannot afford to lose an inch of its territory.
Analysts are also concerned that if China and India go to war, Pakistan may side with China, which could lead to a serious conflict between the three nuclear-armed states.
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