SINO-INDIAN RELATIONS: PROBLEMS, PROGRESS AND PROSPECTS

This article provides a comprehensive assessment of the state of Sino-Indian relations, analyzing the persistent problems, the recent progress, and the future prospects for the relationship. It identifies the unresolved border dispute as the most significant and enduring problem that continues to constrain the development of full trust and normalization. The study then details the significant progress made since the landmark 1988 visit of Rajiv Gandhi to Beijing, which initiated a process of dialogue and de-escalation. The research focuses on the key confidence-building measures agreed upon, particularly the 1993 Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the Line of Actual Control. The paper also examines the expansion of economic and trade relations. The analysis concludes by offering a forward-looking perspective, arguing that while the border issue remains a major obstacle, a pragmatic consensus has emerged in both countries to insulate the broader relationship from this single issue and to focus on areas of mutual interest.

The relationship between Asia's two giants, China and India, is a critical determinant of regional and global stability. This paper analyzes the complex mix of problems, progress, and prospects that characterized their relations in the early 1990s. The first part of the study is a detailed examination of the persistent problems. The unresolved and contentious border dispute is identified as the primary source of strategic mistrust, and the paper provides an overview of the respective claims and the lack of progress towards a final settlement. Other sources of friction, such as China's close relationship with Pakistan and India's hosting of the Dalai Lama, are also discussed. The second part of the paper, however, focuses on the significant progress that had been achieved. It highlights the crucial diplomatic breakthrough of the late 1980s and early 1990s, which moved the relationship from one of confrontation to one of cautious engagement. The signing of the 1993 Peace and Tranquility Agreement is analyzed as a landmark achievement, a formal commitment to managing the border dispute peacefully and preventing military confrontations. The paper also charts the steady growth in bilateral trade, which was becoming an increasingly important positive element in the relationship. The findings suggest that a new, more pragmatic chapter in Sino-Indian relations had begun. The conclusion offers a balanced prognosis, suggesting that while a full strategic partnership remained a distant goal, the commitment to dialogue and the expansion of economic ties had created a solid foundation for a more stable and predictable relationship.