The clash is only the latest in a series of incidents that have increased tensions between India and China. Both sides accuse the other of incursions into its territory along the 3,440km (2,100-mile) disputed border in the Himalayas. The ill-defined line is difficult to patrol, and shifting rivers, lakes and snowcaps can put soldiers on opposite sides of the frontier. Both nations have militarized their patrols, and a brawl over a small area of the LAC recently left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead.
The latest incident surfaced this week with a video of Indian and Chinese soldiers fighting with sticks in a contested zone near the disputed Pangong Lake region in Ladakh, a part of India’s northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh that China claims as its own. The clashes have drawn the attention of global media and international leaders, who have called on both countries to exercise maximum restraint and address any disputes through dialogue.
But the video also underscores how dangerous it can be to escalate a border skirmish in real life. The fight reportedly took place on Dec. 9, but the date has not been confirmed by either side. Radio Free Asia has asked the Indian military for comment, but has not received a response.
If diplomatic efforts fail, experts say that India may consider turning Beijing’s tactics back on itself by advancing elsewhere on the disputed border, working around Chinese posts and patrols without firing a first shot. The tactic, which worked for Vietnam in its 1988 skirmish with China over Johnson South Reef in the Spratly Islands, could force Beijing to choose between accepting encroachments on its territory or risking a larger war to reverse them.