EVENTS

The disputed India-China boundary has over the decades featured in the news when “incursions/intrusions” by the two sides (and, as in 2020, actual clashes), take place. This is chiefly due to the unsettled nature of the border and the different perceptions of the Line of Actual Control in the western and eastern sectors of the border. As has been repeatedly stated in the Indian Parliament, differences arise when both sides come up to what they perceive as their rightful, legal boundary line, which constitutes a violation of that perception. For nearly a decade now, the PRC has been publicising the “Chinese names” of the villages, on and along the Arunachal Pradesh border, which they refer to as “Southern Tibet” or ‘Zangnan’. These have been routinely objected to by the Indian government. Both sides unequivocally reject the other’s claim to this territory. On 7 August 2026, the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Indian Government formally identified 27 places and geographical features (including mountain passes and a lake) in Arunachal Pradesh by their standard names, on the official Indian map, brought out by the Survey of India. This was done, reportedly, “to facilitate accurate recognition, eliminate ambiguity in geographical references and create a uniform reference framework for official maps and government records.” Is there any significance about the timing of this announcement and the locations that have been specified? How can we interpret the official Chinese response, which is a fairly standard rejection of this development, and what will be the nature of their stance going forward? How will this unambiguous tit for tat move, arguably for the first time by India, affect the nature of the ongoing boundary negotiations? The Wednesday Seminar will explore these questions and other related issues.

Panellists

Vijay K. Nambiar is a veteran Indian diplomat who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1967. Over the span of his illustrious career, he held several high-profile positions that spanned critical moments in Indian and global diplomacy. He specialised in Chinese studies and served in Beijing, Yugoslavia, Algeria, Afghanistan, Malaysia, China, and Pakistan. As Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the Ministry of External Affairs, he played a key role in Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s 1988 China visit. Ambassador Nambiar was India’s Permanent Representative to the UN (2002-2004) and later served as Deputy National Security Adviser. Post-retirement, he was a Special Adviser to Kofi Annan and Chef de Cabinet to Ban Ki-moon. He also contributed as Adviser on Myanmar.

Lt. Gen. Deependra Singh Hooda was commissioned into the 4th Battalion of the 4th Gorkha Rifles in 1976. He served initially in Nagaland during the peak of insurgency. As a Major General, Hooda was responsible for counter-insurgency operations in Manipur and South Assam. Between 2012 to 2016, he was stationed in Jammu and Kashmir and ultimately retired as the Army Commander of Northern Command in 2016. During this time, he effectively tackled numerous strategic challenges that emerged on the borders with Pakistan and China. Hooda is a recipient of several prestigious awards including the Vasishta Seva Medal, Ati Vasishta Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, and Param Vishisht Seva Medal for his distinguished military service. In 2019, he authored a comprehensive National Security Strategy document. Today, he is one of India’s foremost commentators on the country’s national security.

Hemant Adlakha is Vice-Chairperson and Honorary Fellow at the ICS, Delhi. He was professor of Chinese at the Centre for Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies, JNU, New Delhi. His areas of research include political discourse in the PRC and modern Chinese Literature and Culture. He is on the editorial board of China Report.

Moderator

Alka Acharya is currently the Director of the Institute of Chinese Studies, New Delhi. She was previously Professor and Chairperson at the Centre for East Asian Studies (Chinese Studies), School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). From 2005-2013, she was the Editor of the journal China Report and had an earlier stint as a full-time Director and Senior Fellow of the Institute of Chinese Studies, from 2014-2017. Her current research focuses on India-China-Russia Trilateral Cooperation and comparing the Indian and Chinese strategies of regional engagement.

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