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India Protests China's Blocking of Arunachal Pradesh Athletes from Asian Games

  • 23 Sep 2023

India has recently strongly objected to China's deliberate and selective obstruction of three athletes from Arunachal Pradesh, a region claimed by China, preventing them from participating in the Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Key Points

  • Arunachal Pradesh Athletes Barred: Three women wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh faced difficulties downloading travel documents from an official Chinese website, preventing their participation in the Asian Games.
  • Meanwhile, the rest of the wushu squad, consisting of ten players, faced no such obstacles and travelled to Hong Kong, with a connecting flight to Hangzhou.
  • Strong Protest Lodged: India lodged a strong protest both in New Delhi and Beijing against China's actions, which were characterized as a "deliberate and selective obstruction" of Indian sportspersons.
  • India-China Relations: This incident occurred amid strained India-China relations, primarily due to the prolonged military standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
  • Rejection of Differential Treatment: India reiterated its long-standing position of rejecting differential treatment of its citizens based on domicile or ethnicity.
  • Arunachal Pradesh is recognized as an integral and inalienable part of India, despite China's claims.
  • Stapled Visas Controversy: The same three wushu players had previously been unable to compete in the World University Games in Chengdu due to China issuing stapled visas.
  • Stapled visas are considered a signal that China does not recognize India's sovereignty over Arunachal Pradesh.

India- China Dispute on Arunachal Pradesh

China's Territorial Claim

  • China asserts ownership of approximately 90,000 sq km of Arunachal Pradesh.
  • It refers to this area as "Zangnan" in Chinese and often mentions "South Tibet" in connection with this region.
  • Chinese maps depict Arunachal Pradesh as part of China and occasionally label it as "so-called Arunachal Pradesh."
  • China periodically reinforces this unilateral claim to Indian territory, including by assigning Chinese names to places in Arunachal Pradesh.

China’s Argument for Claiming These Areas

  • China disputes the legal status of the McMahon Line, which demarcated the border between Tibet and British India through the Simla Convention (also known as the 'Convention Between Great Britain, China, and Tibet') of 1914.
  • During the Shimla Convention, China was represented by a delegate from the Republic of China.
  • The Chinese representative did not provide consent to the Shimla Convention, contending that Tibet lacked the independent authority to engage in international agreements.
  • The McMahon Line, named after Henry McMahon, the principal British negotiator in Shimla, extended from the eastern Bhutan border to the Isu Razi pass along the China-Myanmar boundary.
  • China asserts territorial rights to the south of the McMahon Line, encompassing parts of Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Additionally, China justifies its claims by referring to historical connections between monasteries in Tawang and Lhasa.

Origin of the Border Dispute with China

  • Following the Communist Party's ascent to power in China, the country withdrew from all international agreements and "unequal treaties" imposed during its "century of humiliation."
  • China demanded renegotiation of its borders.
  • The border between China and India has remained un-delineated.

Line of Actual Control (LAC)

  • The LAC separates Indian-administered areas from Chinese-administered territories.
  • It comprises three sectors: Eastern (Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim), Middle (Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh), and Western (Ladakh).
  • India and China hold different views on the LAC's alignment.
  • India defines the LAC as approximately 3,488 km long, while China estimates it to be around 2,000 km.