India-China Relations
Structural Drivers of Friction
India-China tensions go beyond border disputes and are rooted in a structural rivalry between two large, nuclear-armed, civilisational states with overlapping spheres of influence in Asia.
- The 1962 India-China war established the baseline of mistrust; despite subsequent commercial normalisation, the border dispute was never resolved.
- China's strategic partnership with Pakistan — particularly the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC, $62 billion) — passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), which India claims. India views CPEC as a sovereignty violation.
- China's growing maritime presence in the Indian Ocean (string of pearls strategy) — with port agreements in Sri Lanka (Hambantota), Myanmar (Kyaukphyu), Bangladesh (Chittagong), and Pakistan (Gwadar) — is seen as encirclement.
- India's growing strategic partnership with the US, Japan, and Australia (Quad) is perceived by China as a containment strategy.
- The 2020 standoff was preceded by China's accelerated road and military infrastructure construction on the LAC — DSDBO Road (India's Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie Road) was the immediate trigger for Chinese counter-moves in Galwan.
● Tracked since February 02, 2026 · last seen March 30, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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