ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the escalation of border tensions between China and India in the past two decades, focusing on the actions and motivations of each side and assessing the extent to which actions on the ground aligned with each side’s broader aims. Four Sino-Indian border standoffs are examined in detail: the 2013 Daulat Beg Oldie (or Depsang) standoff; the 2014 Chumar standoff during Xi Jinping’s visit to India; the 2017 Doklam standoff at the trijunction of China, Bhutan, and India; and the ongoing eastern Ladakh standoff that began in spring 2020. Beginning with a review of the history of the India-China border dispute and how each side’s intentions and capabilities have evolved over time, the authors evaluate each of the four border incidents as narrative case studies focusing on pivotal military moves, statements by leadership, and outcomes. The chapter concludes by situating these border crises within broader trends in the Sino-Indian relationship and their implications for future face-offs and the overall border dispute.
