Course Correction

Abstract

To most observers, Sino–Indian relations present a paradox—a seemingly intractable and staunchly contested dispute, persisting at the centre of a rapidly transforming relationship. Nearly a decade and a half of confidence-building measures between India and China has transpired during which a comprehensive set of mechanisms and procedures have been laid down to address their boundary dispute. An entire structure of dialogues at different levels and of diverse kinds—political, strategic, defence, economic—has evolved, with the objective of resolving such misunderstandings as arising from time to time, with speed and despatch. These achievements are the basis on which this paper asserts that the core issue of contention between India and China, the disputed boundary, has moved into a qualitatively different stage, which may be termed post-conflictual, that is, if current trends continue, force is unlikely to be used to settle the ongoing dispute. This article argues that the Agreements of 2003 and 2005 were a fundamental departure from the earlier approaches adopted by the two countries and a conscious attempt at charting a new way out of a tangled historical legacy riddled with contradictions and complexities. It seeks to examine the origins of this shift, the politics that underlay this vital ‘course correction’ by both sides and its hopefully far-reaching implications.