ABSTRACT
The India–China border dispute, formally referred to by both sides as ‘the boundary question’, remains one of the most contentious and volatile issues in the two side’s bilateral relations. Indeed, the several violent confrontations of 2020 inflamed passions on both sides and raised the spectre of a war. In an effort to address the border dispute and the occasional crises that it raises, India and China have engaged in several rounds of formal negotiations and countless informal talks. Yet, the two states are no closer to finding a resolution to the dispute than when the discussions began. This chapter takes stock of how the Sino-Indian border negotiations have progressed over time in order to understand the question: why have the negotiations seemingly become stalemated? Ultimately it is recognized that India and China’s desire to avoid damaging their national prestige by appearing irresolute has ensured the negotiations have become deadlocked. Yet the talks have become too valuable a channel of communication for smoothing over crises on the border when they emerge for the two states to discard.
