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    India-China row: 8 disputed border areas that China claims as its own

    Synopsis

    Line of actual control—the working boundary between India and China. Total length: 3,440 km. It is divided into three sectors: eastern, middle & western.

    ET Bureau
    Even as India’s month-long face-off with China in the Dokalam plateau region is turning out to be the shrillest border confrontation in years, there are at least eight areas in the northern and eastern sectors where China has made territorial claims over the past several years. ET takes a look at the key hot spots.

    Areas of discord are spread across the LAC
    Line of actual control—the working boundary between India and China. Total length: 3,440 km. It is divided into three sectors: eastern, middle & western.

    Eastern sector (from Sikkim till the border with Myanmar)
    most disputed territories are in Arunachal Pradesh...

    Asaphila—100 sq km of forested, mountainous area located along the LAC in the Upper Subansiri Division. One of the primary areas that came under Chinese onslaught in 1962 war. Currently, Asaphila is not under occupation of either country.

    Major flare-ups

    June 2003: A Chinese patrol took away the arms of an Indian patrol.

    Oct 2014: Indian troops stopped Chinese army soldiers from constructing a road.

    Longju—Located in the Upper Subansiri Division, it is opposite the Chinese military posts in Migyitun, Tibet. First armed clash (Aug 25, 1959) between PLA and 9 Assam Rifles took place here. Since then India did not reoccupy Longju and instead set up a post at Maja, 10 km south of Longju.

    Namka Chu (river) valley (Tawang district)—Located about 60 km ahead of Tawang. It is the area where the 1962 war began.

    Sumdorong Chu (Tawang district)—It is a rivulet east of Namka Chu in the area of Kya Pho of Tawang district. Occupied by the Chinese army in a surprise swoop in 1986.

    Yangste (Tawang district) As a retaliation to Sumdorong Chu, the Indian Army occupied Yangste in the latter half of 1986.

    Middle sector (from Demchok till the border with Nepal)
    545 km, runs along Himachal and UP.

    Barahoti—a grazing ground in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district. This area too has a history of incursions by Chinese troops.

    Western sector (from northwest of Karakoram pass to Demchok)

    Aksai Chin—Biggest disputed territory, is 38,000 sq km in size. For India it is part of Ladakh. China was claiming the region as its own since the 50s. In 1957, built its Western Highway that connects Xinjiang with Tibet, cutting across Aksai Chin. Eventually occupied it after 1962.

    Demchok—It is a village and military base in Leh. Site of frequent face-offs. In November last year, Indian and Chinese troops clashed over the construction of an irrigation canal. A similar altercation took place in 2014.


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    ( Originally published on Jul 24, 2017 )
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