Strategic Lens

Border and maritime: India and China

First country

Second country

India and China share a land border of 2,659 km.

Sources: CIA World Factbook (retrieved 26 September 2026)

Last updated on 26 September 2026

More on this relationship

Benefits

  • BothThe October 2024 patrolling agreement was meant to disengage forces and resolve the standoff that began in 2020.

Constraints

  • BothClashes in 2020 killed 20 Indian soldiers, and military infrastructure near the line keeps growing.
  • IndiaChinese research vessels with dual-use capabilities have operated near Indian waters, sometimes with tracking switched off.

Sources: Wikipedia: China–India relations (revision of 23 September 2026)