NEW DELHI—India said on Tuesday that peace and tranquillity along its disputed border with China were essential to the broader bilateral relationship, after reports of renewed tensions in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh and a fresh dispute over Beijing's territorial claims.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the condition of the border would have a direct bearing on the state of relations between the two countries, reiterating New Delhi's position that maintaining stability along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) was necessary for the development of ties.
The statement came amid reports of a recent face-off between Indian and Chinese patrols in the Taksing area of Arunachal Pradesh. Details of the reported incident have not been independently verified, and the Indian government has not publicly confirmed claims of a sustained Chinese incursion or a change in the ground situation.
India and China have long disputed their 3,488-km frontier, with the LAC serving as the de facto boundary despite differences over its precise alignment. Arunachal Pradesh, which India administers, is claimed by China as part of what it calls southern Tibet.
The latest tensions also followed China's objections to India's formal identification of 27 locations in Arunachal Pradesh using Indian names. New Delhi rejected Beijing's position and reiterated that the state was an integral and inalienable part of India.
India's response reflects a longstanding diplomatic position that unresolved border tensions can affect the wider relationship. The two sides have held repeated military and diplomatic talks since a serious confrontation along the LAC in eastern Ladakh in 2020 disrupted previously expanding ties.
New Delhi has consistently called for respect for existing agreements and mechanisms governing the border and has said that peace and tranquillity in the frontier areas are necessary for normalising bilateral relations.
The latest developments come after recent India-China diplomatic contacts focused on managing the LAC and preventing misunderstandings between troops deployed along the disputed frontier. Both countries have continued to use established military and diplomatic channels to address outstanding border issues.
China has not accepted India's territorial position on Arunachal Pradesh and continues to assert its claim over the region. India, for its part, maintains that its sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh is not open to negotiation.
The MEA's latest comments did not announce a new military deployment or diplomatic measure, but reiterated that the condition of the border remains closely linked to the wider trajectory of India-China relations.
