China-India border row: two years on, what progress has been made in the conflict?

Regional military officials from both sides have held 15 rounds of talks since the border skirmishes 2 years ago, but have not held any dialogue since March 11

At least 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese troops died in the clashes in June 2020 at the Galwan Valley in the Indian region of Ladakh

Reading Time:4 minutes

A soldier of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) guards a national highway leading to Ladakh region. Photo: dpa

Published: 7:26pm, 10 May 2022Updated: 9:16pm, 10 May 2022

Two years after a string of skirmishes sparked a deadly military stand-off between two of the largest armies in the world, the lines between China and India are hardening.

The stand-off remains unresolved, with Chinese and Indian soldiers still locked in a confrontation, just metres away from each other, at friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Indian Himalayan region of Ladakh.

Beyond the border, new friction points are emerging.

Last week, the Chinese nationalist tabloid, Global Times asked India to stop a “regulatory assault” on Chinese companies in India, after a news report claimed that Xiaomi, the Chinese smartphone maker, alleged its officials faced threats of “physical violence” when they were questioned by Indian officials investigating potential tax fraud by the company.

Map of Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Indian Himalayan region of Ladakh. Graphic: SCMP

On Monday, the new Indian Army chief General Manoj Pande blamed Beijing for the stand-off remaining unresolved, insisting it was China’s “intent … to keep the boundary issue alive”. Last week, Pande said Indian troops “will not permit any change in [the] status quo or loss of territory”. On Monday, he said Indian troops had been instructed to be “firm and resolute”.