China’s ambassador to India has warned against economic decoupling following the border stand-off and said attempts to clarify the de facto border could cause “new disputes”.
Relations between the two countries are at their lowest point in decades following a deadly clash last month in the Himalayas.
The Government of India has banned 59 Chinese mobile applications, including top social media platforms such as TikTok, WeChat and Helo, to counter the threat posed by these applications to the country’s “sovereignty and security”. The govt also cited complaints about data on Indian users being transferred abroad without authorization.
India-China border clash explained:
The 255km Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road that connects Leh to the Karakoram Pass runs almost parallel to the border separating Ladakh from China’s Xinjiang province. It runs alongside the Shyok River, a critical communication line close to the LAC. The road, which has been two decades in the making, would allow the rapid deployment of Indian troops to the disputed area and has become a flashpoint between the Asian giants.
Another point of contention is the China National Highway 219 (G219) connecting Xinjiang to Tibet. Originally built in 1957 and made of gravel, G219 was upgraded to asphalt in 2013. About 179km of the highway passes through the disputed Aksai Chin plateau.