Loz12 at 23:08, 15 October 2024

2024-10-15T23:08:53Z

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'''Differing perceptions''' or '''areas of differing perceptions''' was a theory to explain why border conflicts have arisen between China and India, since the [[Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement, 1993]] has been signed. It maintains that the two sides have different perception of where the [[Line of Actual Control]] (LAC) between the territories of the two countries lies. Further, the Chinese have their own understanding of where the Indians perceive their LAC to be, and vice versa.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Joshi|first=Manoj|date=8 June 2020|title=Indo-China row signals breakdown of confidence building measures|url=https://www.orfonline.org/research/indo-china-row-signals-breakdown-of-confidence-building-measures-67469/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-02-27|website=ORF|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616135607/https://www.orfonline.org/research/indo-china-row-signals-breakdown-of-confidence-building-measures-67469/ |archive-date=2020-06-16 }}</ref> For many decades India and China carried forward the differing perceptions theory.

India has called this as one of the causes for the loss of Indian territory to [[China's salami slicing]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Srivastava|first=Niraj|date=24 June 2020|title=Galwan Valley clash with China shows that India has discarded the 'differing perceptions' theory|url=https://scroll.in/article/965477/galwan-valley-clash-with-china-shows-that-india-has-discarded-the-differing-perceptions-theory|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200624030211/https://scroll.in/article/965477/galwan-valley-clash-with-china-shows-that-india-has-discarded-the-differing-perceptions-theory |archive-date=2020-06-24 |access-date=2020-11-08|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Krishnan|first=Ananth|date=2020-05-24|title=What explains the India-China border flare-up?|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/what-explains-the-india-china-border-flare-up/article31660378.ece|access-date=2020-11-08|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> The existence of areas of differing perceptions resulted in "overlapping areas of influence, extending from a few hundred meters to tens of kilometers" and was "one of the reasons for Chinese to enhance their transgressions in Ladakh".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bedi|first=Lt Gen (Retd.) AS|date=4 June 2020|title=India-China Standoff : Contracting Options in Ladakh|url=https://www.vifindia.org/print/7586?slide=$slideshow$|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201110201235/https://www.vifindia.org/print/7586?slide=$slideshow$ |archive-date=2020-11-10 |access-date=2020-11-08|website=www.vifindia.org}}</ref>

[[File:Depsang-Bulge-LSIB-2020.jpg|thumb|right|280px|Differing perceptions in the [[Depsang Bulge]] area in northern Ladakh: the leftmost line indicating China's perception and the rightmost line India's perception. The middle green line represents the prevailing LAC as per the contributors to OpenStreetMap and the red line is that marked by the US [[Office of the Geographer]].{{efn|The red line is from "LSIB", or "Large-Scale International Boundaries", a data set published by the US [[Office of the Geographer]] and used widely for marking international boundaries, including in applications such as the [[Google Maps]]. The data set marked here is of Version 10, released in March 2020, visualised on OpenStreetMap at [https://data.humdata.org/dataset/large-scale-international-boundaries-lsib humdata.org].}}]]

== Overview ==
Written in the [[Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement, 1993]]: "When necessary, the two sides shall jointly check and determine the segments of the line of actual control where they have different views as to its alignment".<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=1993|title=PA-X: Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the Line of Actual Control in the India-China Border Areas|url=https://www.peaceagreements.org/view/286#:~:text=Agreement%20on%20the%20Maintenance%20of,the%20India-China%20Border%20Areas&text=This%20agreement%20provides%20the%20framework,is%20made%20regarding%20border%20demarcation.|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609180826/https://www.peaceagreements.org/view/286 |archive-date=2020-06-09 |access-date=2021-02-16|website=Peace Agreements Database|via=The University of Edinburgh}}</ref> This phrase, "differences on the alignment", also finds mention in the [[Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement, 1993#1996 agreement|1996 agreement]]. Further the 1996 agreement uses the phrase "different perceptions":<ref>{{Cite web|date=29 November 1996|title=Agreement Between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the People's Republic of China on Confidence-Building Measures in the Military Field Along the Line of Actual Control in the India-China Border Areas|url=https://peacemaker.un.org/sites/peacemaker.un.org/files/CN%20IN_961129_Agreement%20between%20China%20and%20India.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=15 March 2021|website=Peace Agreements Database|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029095307/http://peacemaker.un.org:80/sites/peacemaker.un.org/files/CN%20IN_961129_Agreement%20between%20China%20and%20India.pdf |archive-date=2013-10-29 }}</ref>
{{Blockquote|text=Recognizing that the full implementation of some of the provisions of the present Agreement will depend on the two sides arriving at a common understanding of the alignment of the line of actual control in the India-China border areas, the two sides agree to [...] As an initial step in this process, they are clarifying the alignment of the line of actual control in those segments where they have different perceptions.}}
In the backdrop of the [[2020–2021 China–India skirmishes]], Defence Minister of India [[Rajnath Singh]], used the phrase in a Lok Sabha statement, "...both (India, China) have different perceptions of LAC";<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=15 September 2020|title=Rajnath Singh in Lok Sabha: India, China have different perceptions of LAC|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-china-have-different-perceptions-of-lac-rajnath-says-in-lok-sabha-key-points/articleshow/78124095.cms|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-15|website=The Times of India|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219135830/https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-china-have-different-perceptions-of-lac-rajnath-says-in-lok-sabha-key-points/articleshow/78124095.cms |archive-date=2020-12-19 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=15 September 2020|title=China disrupted traditional patrolling pattern of Indian troops in Galwan Valley causing face-off conditions: Rajnath|url=https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/china-disrupted-traditional-patrolling-pattern-of-indian-troops-in-galwan-valley-causing-face-off-conditions-rajnath20200915162437/|access-date=2021-03-15|website=ANI News|language=en}}</ref> in the Rajya Sabha, "there is no common perception of the entire LAC", "there are some areas where the Chinese and Indian perceptions of LAC overlap".<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=17 September 2020|title=Text of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh Statement in Rajya Sabha on September 17|url=http://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1655521|access-date=2021-03-15|website=Press Information Bureau, Government of India}}</ref> A Chinese foreign ministry statement in September 2020 stated that "China-India border LAC is very clear, that is the LAC on November 7, 1959. China announced it in the 1950s".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patranobis|first=Sutirtho|date=2020-09-29|title=China takes 1959 line on perception of LAC|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/china-takes-1959-line-on-perception-of-lac/story-ciMDJjOeTLuvyvsNy7gJXI.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-15|website=Hindustan Times|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200929023455/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/china-takes-1959-line-on-perception-of-lac/story-ciMDJjOeTLuvyvsNy7gJXI.html |archive-date=2020-09-29 }}</ref> In 2003 [[Asaphila]] as an area of differing perception was called out in the Parliament.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lok Sabha Debates: Regarding Transgression Of Line Of Actual Control By Chinese Forces... on 25 July, 2003|url=https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1851700/?type=print|access-date=15 March 2021|website=Indian Kanoon}}</ref>

Confidence building measures, clarification mechanisms, peace and tranquility building measures have been agreed upon by both countries to deal with the tensions arising from the areas of differing perceptions.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> According to commentators, the number of areas of differing perceptions range from 12 to 18 locations<ref name=":0" /><ref>Claude Arpi (2016). [https://www.claudearpi.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Demchok-IDR.pdf ''The Case of Demchok'']. via— claudearpi.net. "the case of Demchok which is a case study of Chinese 'advances' which resulted in what today is called a ‘difference of perceptions’ on the LAC. [...] It is not only in Demchok, but in 11 other places, also that India’s and China’s views differ.[...]"</ref> to no perceptional differences.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mahalingam|first=Brig V.|date=18 August 2014|title=China: Differing Perceptions about the Line of Actual Control (LAC): A Hoax?|url=https://www.claws.in/publication/china-differing-perceptions-about-the-line-of-actual-control-lac-a-hoax/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-15|website=Center For Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS)|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201227165438/https://www.claws.in/publication/china-differing-perceptions-about-the-line-of-actual-control-lac-a-hoax/ |archive-date=2020-12-27 }}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}{{China–India relations}}
[[Category:Sino-Indian border dispute]]
[[Category:Politics of the Kashmir conflict]]
[[Category:Politics of Arunachal Pradesh]]
[[Category:China in the Kashmir conflict]]

Differing perceptions of the Line of Actual Control - Revision history

Loz12 at 23:08, 15 October 2024