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China’s New Land Border Protection Law

  • 25 Oct 2021

On 23 October 2021, China has passed a law to strengthen border protection.

(Image Source: m.dailyhunt.in)

  • This is the first time that the People's Republic of China, founded 72 years ago, has a dedicated law specifying how it governs and guards its 22,000-km (14,000-mile) land border.
  • The Land Borders Law will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2022.

Reasons for the Move: Most Recent Concerns

  • Afghan Refugee Crisis: China has been closely watching neighbouring Afghanistan, where the Taliban returned to power in August, to guard against a possible inflow of refugees or Islamic extremists crossing over to link up with the Muslim Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang region.
  • Standoff with India: At its Himalayan frontier, Chinese soldiers have been in a standoff with Indian troops since April 2020. China has land border disputes with India and Bhutan.
  • Covid-19: China has also taken great pains to keep the COVID-19 virus outside of its borders, after illegal crossings from Myanmar and Vietnam contributed this year to a surge in cases in its southern provinces of Yunnan and Guangxi respectively.

Finer Points about the New Law

  • The country will "take effective measures to resolutely protect territorial sovereignty and land border security".
  • Chinese military and military police - the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force - are responsible for guarding the border against any "invasion, encroachment, infiltration, provocation".
  • The new law says that China can close down its border if a war or other armed conflict nearby threatens border security. It also strengthens the Army’s policy to work closely with civilians at border areas to form the first line of defence.
  • The law stipulates that China will take measures to “strengthen border defence, support economic and social development as well as opening-up in border areas, improve public services and infrastructure in such areas, encourage and support people’s life and work there, and promote coordination between border defence and social, economic development in border areas”.

‘One-China’ Policy: Reason for Border Dispute with almost all its Bordering Countries

  • The People's Republic of China has been historically involved in territorial disputes with many countries that share borders with it both historically and at present, this also often includes the entire South China Sea region and at times, international waters as well.
  • This is a direct result of the Xi Jinping government's stipulated 'One-China' policy, which aims to unify a large portion of Asia that at some point belonged to China in the last century.

18 countries that have faced China's aggressive expansionist policies since the last century:

Bhutan Bhutanese enclaves in Tibet, Kula Kangri, mountains in the west and the Haa district. Other smaller areas include Cherkip Gompa, Dho, Dungmar, Sanmar, Tarchen and more 2008, 2016
Brunei Spratly Islands 1986-present
Cambodia Parts of the country on historical merit dating all the way back to 700 years Qing Dynasty, Ming Dynasty, 13th century – 19th century
India Aksai Chin, Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh. Wars and stand-off have led to a permanent PLA presence in the region along the LAC 1962, 1967, 2011, 2017, 2020
Indonesia Parts of South China Sea Currently still disputed
Japan Senkaku Islands, Ryukuku Islands, parts of Japan’s territorial waters in South China Sea. Multiple disputes since the Qing dynasty periods Clashes in 1884, 1895, 1972, 2011, 2013, 2015
Laos Claims originating from historical precedent, primarily annexed between 12th century to 17th century Dormant dispute
Malaysia Parts of South China Sea, particularly Spratly Islands and James Shoal reefs 1971, 2009 and historical claims
Mongolia China claims all of Mongolia on historical account, although for a major part of its history, it was Mongolian leaders starting from Genghis Khan who controlled China Yuan, Qing, Ming dynasties. Still owns Inner Mongolia
Nepal Claims Nepal belonged to Tibet, and Tibet China claims is an integral part of China too 1788-1792 (Sino-Nepalese war) constant tug of war in Nepal’s northern borders
North Korea Mount Baekdu, Mount Jiandao and in the past has claimed all of North Korea as part of China on territorial grounds Ryanggang province since formation (1954)
Philippines Parts of South China Sea. The Philippines took the issue to the ICJ and won the case, China continues to ignore 2016
Russia Vladivostok, Primorsky Krai; despite 4 different treaties and returning 100s islands and numerous rivers, China continues to claims more than 160,000kms in Russia’s far-east 1860, 1991, 1994 and 2004
Singapore

Parts of South China Sea, contested and claimed by China, despite having no actual boundary with the tiny island nation in the Malaya region

1999-present
South Korea Parts of East China Sea, claims all of South Korea’s lands and international waters on historical grounds Ryanggang province since formation (1954)
Tajikistan All of its territory based on historical precedent Qing Dynasty, 1644-1912
Taiwan China claims all of Taiwan’s lands as its own and does not take lightly to dissent in the region Since 1949
Vietnam Paracel Islands, Macclesfield Bank and large parts of Chinese territories (historical precedent claim). Fresh conquests and construction of artificial islands in the South China Sea 1364-1644 (constant dispute) 1990’s 2011, 2013

Land Border of China

  • China shares its borders with 16 neighbors, 14 of which are sovereign states and two are special territories. The total length of its land borders is 13,743 miles.
  • China has Mongolia to its north, Russia to its northeast, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan to its west, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bhutan to its southwest, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam to its south, North Korea to its northeast.
  • The two special territories it shares borders with are Hong Kong and Macau, both are Special Administrative Regions of China.

The length of border between China and its respective neighbours are

  1. Mongolia: 2,877 miles
  2. Russia: 2,597 miles
  3. Kazakhstan: 1,097 miles
  4. Kyrgyzstan: 660 miles
  5. Tajikistan: 296 miles
  6. Afghanistan: 56 miles
  7. Pakistan: 272 miles
  8. India: 1,652 miles
  9. Nepal: 863 miles
  10. Bhutan: 296 miles
  11. Myanmar: 1,323 miles
  12. Laos: 295 miles
  13. Vietnam: 806 miles
  14. North Korea: 840 miles

Special Territories

  1. China – Hong Kong: 20 miles
  2. China – Macau: 1.8 miles