Brahma Chellaney flags Indo-Tibetan border reality, says India’s timidity fuels China risks

Tibet remains at the heart of India-China relations, shaping the deep undercurrents of mistrust and strategic rivalry between the two neighbours. For India, Tibet’s past role as a buffer and the presence of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile on its soil keep the issue politically and diplomatically sensitive.

Geopolitical analyst Brahma Chellaney points out that India’s Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,200-km border with Tibet, not China, as the state’s chief minister has asserted. This applies to India’s entire Himalayan frontier, traditionally known as the Indo-Tibetan border. Yet, Chellaney argues, Tibet remains the core issue in India-China relations — a reality often obscured by official Indian timidity.

Border tensions between India and China are tightly linked to Tibet’s complex history and strategic significance. China’s occupation of Tibet in 1950 erased the buffer that once separated the two countries, pushing them into direct territorial disputes along the vast Himalayan frontier.

China rejects the McMahon Line — which India considers the legitimate border in the eastern sector — branding it an imperial legacy imposed during Tibet’s semi-autonomous period. Clashes over regions like Aksai Chin in the west and Arunachal Pradesh in the east have triggered conflicts, including the 1962 war and more recent standoffs such as the deadly 2020 Galwan Valley clash.

Tibet remains central to these tensions. China’s hold over the plateau strengthens its military posture, while India’s hosting of the Dalai Lama fuels diplomatic friction. Unresolved border issues, rooted in Tibet’s status and historical agreements, continue to cast a long shadow over relations between the Asian giants.

Meanwhile, ahead of external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s first visit to China since the 2020 border clashes, Beijing on Sunday called Tibet-related matters — including the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama — a “thorn” in bilateral ties and a “burden” for New Delhi.

Jaishankar is set to visit China this week, marking the first such trip since relations plunged to their lowest point in six decades following the Ladakh standoff. Both sides are cautiously working to normalise ties after agreeing last October to disengage in the disputed region.

For Beijing, Tibet remains a critical frontier, tied closely to territorial integrity and concerns over separatism and foreign influence. While official dialogues often skirt direct references to Tibet, the region’s significance endures, shaping border disputes, security calculations across the Himalayas, and broader geopolitical dynamics in Asia.