ABSTRACT
In July 1914 an agreement to determine the border between Tibet, which then enjoyed de facto independence of distant Peking, and British India was signed at Simla. The line was called the “McMahon line” after its creator. Although Tibetan representatives signed the agreement, the Chinese only initialed it; they refused to ratify it, fearing that such an action would be interpreted as Chinese recognition of the sovereignty of Tibet, which China saw as a vassal state. The preceding historical survey shows the great importance of the Chinese issue in Indian foreign policy. Jawaharlal Nehru himself testified to the centrality of the Chinese issue when he said: the situation that has arisen on our borders is of historical significance from a long-term point of view. When two nations deal with one another, more often than not there exist at least some differences in the way in which each defines a problem.
