A Year After Galwan, Where Do India-China Relations Stand?

Although both countries have had many standoffs over the years, these were the first casualties at LAC since 1975.

The Big Story Podcast on Galwan Valley Clash’s One Year Anniversary, India-China Relations.

(Image: Kamran Akhter/The Quint)

15 June 2020 will go down in history as the day when 20 Indian troops, including their commanding officer, died in clashes with People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers at Galwan Valley. Although both countries have had several standoffs over the years, these were the first casualties at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since 1975.

One year since the fatal clashes, there have been economic sanctions on Chinese companies in India and FDI from China, bans have been imposed on 59 Chinese-made apps in India, some of them being really popular apps like TikTok and PUBG.

There have also been 11 rounds of talks between the two sides, which have been unsuccessful to bring about complete disengagement.

There has been some amount of disengagement at the Galwan site and some in the Pangong Tso area, but one thing became clear: The old neighbours consider the boundary question in fundamentally different ways.

Even External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated earlier this month that “relations with China are at a crossroads.”

So, where does the India-China relationship stand a year after the Galwan Valley clashes? Is it time for India to go back to the drawing board and rethink its policy on China? Tune in.