Indo-China Border: A Perspective on Six-Point Consensus

The 23rd round of discussions between India and China’s special representatives on the border issue marks an important milestone in the Indo-China bilateral relationship, particularly after a prolonged gap of five years. The agreement reached in Beijing, comprising six key points (also known as six-point consensus), reflects both progress and the complexities that existed in the India-China border dispute. While this consensus signals both parties desire for stabilising relations, it also highlights the deep seated security challenges that continue to shape the interactions.

The Geopolitical Backdrop

References

1) MEA, I. (2005, April 11). Agreement between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the India-China. Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

2) MEA, I. (2012, January 17). India-China Agreement on the Establishment of a Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs. Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

3) PIB, & Ministry of Defense. (2013, December 9). Indo-China Border Defence Cooperation Agreement.

4) Samanta, P. D. (2020, June 18). Chinese action violates 1993, 1996, and 2013 border agreements. The Economic Times.

5) Sharma, A. (2024, October 21). Chronicle of Conflict: The India-China border dispute from 1950 to 2024 – CNBC TV18. CNBCTV18.

6) Xinhua. (2024a, December 16). 23rd Special Representatives’ Meeting on China-India Boundary Question to be held in Beijing.

7) Xinhua. (2024b, December 19). China, India reach six-point consensus on boundary question.

8) Xinhua, Kaiwei, Z., & Wenxing, Z. (2024, December 19). China, India reach six-point consensus on boundary question – People’s Daily Online.

9) Ziwen, Z., & Razdan, K. (2024, December 18). ‘Hard-won’ high-level China-India talks see agreement on six-point consensus. South China Morning Post.

All the views and opinions expressed are those of the author. Image Credit – Al Jazeera.

About the Author

Kondaraju Sandeep Royal holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from Pondicherry University. He completed Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Christ University. He is currently pursuing Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Indra Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). After a brief stint at The Viyug, he is currently working at the Foreign Policy Research Centre.