DPG WEBINAR “ONE YEAR ON: THE LAC STANDOFF AND INDIA’S POLICY OPTIONS”

The India-China standoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh has completed one year.
Recent discussions between the two sides on the restoration of the status quo in Gogra, Hot Springs, and Depsang appear to have yielded no results. Although pullback from the Pangong Tso has been completed, most of the additional Chinese military forces that had been inducted into Tibet remain in place. It is clear that there is unlikely to be any quick resolution.
 
On May 5, 2021, the Delhi Policy Group (DPG) conducted a webinar on the subject “One Year On: The LAC Standoff and India’s Policy Options” to examine India’s strategy to achieve a favourable resolution to the ongoing border standoff and to recommend long-term policy measures to deal with any future challenge from China. The event was moderated by Lt Gen DS Hooda (Retd), Senior Fellow, DPG.

The panelists comprised:
 · Ambassador Nalin Surie, Distinguished Fellow, DPG
· Professor Srikant Kondapalli, Professor in China Studies at the JNU
· Lt Gen Ranbir Singh (Retd), former Army Commander Northern Command
· Mr. Jayadeva Ranade, President, Centre for China Analysis and Studies
 
The intransigence of the Chinese position on the current standoff at the LAC shows that there is unlikely to be a quick resolution. The India-China strategic rivalry is likely to sharpen in the future and will require India to reassess both its bilateral relations with China and multilateral engagements with like-minded countries. In view of China's growing economic and military power, India faces an enormous challenge that must be squarely faced, for which a comprehensive strategy must be put in place expeditiously.