Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Not much

Mains level: China's territorial expansionism

China has recently passed a new land law for the “protection and exploitation of the country’s land border areas”.

The law states that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China are sacred and inviolable.
It asks the state to take measures to safeguard territorial integrity and land boundaries and guard against and combat any act that undermines these.
The state can take measures to strengthen border defence, support economic and social development as well as opening-up in border areas.
It seeks to improve public services and infrastructure in such areas, encourage and support people’s life and work there.

In effect, this suggests a push to settle civilians in the border areas.
The law also asks the state to follow the principles of equality, mutual trust, and friendly consultation, handle land border related-affairs with neighbouring countries.

China shares its 22,457-km land boundary with 14 countries including India, the third-longest after the borders with Mongolia and Russia.
Unlike the Indian border, however, China’s borders with these two countries are not disputed.
The only other country with which China has disputed land borders is Bhutan (477 km).

China claims up to 90,000 square kilometres in Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern sector.
It has illegally occupied 38,000 square kilometres of Aksai Chin in the western sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
While recent tensions in the western sector have been centred on Ladakh, both sides have lately clashed in Uttarakhand as well.

The law is not meant specifically for the border with India.
However, this could create hurdles in the resolution of the 17-month-long military standoff at LAC.
There is also a clear distinction that PLA will do border management but it will make negotiations a little more difficult.

China’s new land border law and Indian concerns

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