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(CNN Spanish) - The tense relations between India and China, due to a border dispute, had a new chapter on Tuesday when three Indian soldiers died in a confrontation in the Himalayas, rekindling the friction between the two countries that have been in an intermittent conflict since the 1960s.
The most recent incident occurred during an ongoing "de-escalation process" in the Galwan Valley in the disputed area of Aksai Chin-Ladakh. Large numbers of soldiers have been building there in recent weeks on both the Indian and Chinese sides, and senior military commanders began talks earlier this month.
This is what we know about this conflict.
- Three Indian soldiers die during fighting on the Chinese border in the Himalayas
That's how it started
India and China share one of the longest land borders in the world. In 1962, the two countries launched a bloody border war in the Himalayas, and minor border conflicts and diplomatic tensions have continued sporadically for decades.
The dispute resulted in the demarcation of an approximate border line but neither party agrees exactly where it is or how extensive it is.
- Kashmir crisis: nuclear threat still hangs over India and Pakistan
The Current Line of Control
The current line of control (ALC) recently unleashed the conflict between New Delhi and Beijing. This line was established in 1993 as part of an attempt to mark the long stretch of border between the two countries, but its precise location may be blurred. And border disputes are still ongoing with India and China claiming where one country ends and the other begins.
Last month the two sides accused each other of overstepping the LAC that separates the two territories. This line runs between Aksai Chin, controlled by the Chinese, and the rest of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region. Aksai Chin is administered by China as part of Xinjiang, but is also claimed by the Indian government as part of Ladakh.
In 2017 there was a territorial confrontation
The two sides engaged in a nearly three-month territorial clash on the disputed Doklam Plateau, on the unmarked border between China and Bhutan.
Although not part of the Indian Territory, the area is close to the "chicken neck", a strategic corridor that serves as a vital artery between Delhi and its northeast states.
The two powers almost came to a standoff over accusations that the Chinese government was building a highway within the territory of the Indian ally, Bhutan.
Nearby, China also conducted live-fire drills with combat troops.
But a warm and informal summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2018 helped make relations positive again.
"The common interests of China and India far outweigh their differences," the state newspaper China Daily said in an editorial.
After months of mounting tensions and live-fire drills, the two governments finally agreed to back down in August 2017. In 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping agreed to work together to prevent further border disputes.
- The confrontation between China and India over a highway
Tensions and disputes flare up again
Despite the agreement reaching in 2018, in September 2019 Indian and Chinese troops were involved in a new "skirmish" on the border near Pangong Lake in the Himalayas, according to CNN affiliate News18.
In the weeks prior to that date, there had been an accumulation of soldiers in the disputed area, which for many represented a potential confrontation, concerns that were growing because Chinese and Indian media had made nationalist calls for action and against giving way. behind.
Both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have garnered much public support for nationalism and a promise of future greatness. This often results in aggressive rhetoric, particularly when used for a national audience.
By May 2020, a series of clashes between Indian and Chinese soldiers were recorded in a remote and mountainous area near Tibet; Eleven of them - four Indian men and seven Chinese - were injured with minor injuries, due to "aggressive behavior on both sides," a spokesman for the Indian Defense Ministry said.
“The two sides became disconnected after dialogue and interaction at the local level. The troops solve these problems mutually according to established protocols, "added the spokesman for the Indian Defense Ministry.
On June 7, 2020, diplomatic approaches began to resolve the long-standing dispute. In a statement, Indian authorities said the parties agreed to "continue military and diplomatic commitments" to "guarantee peace and tranquility" in the border areas.
But in the midst of this de-escalation process, a week later, three Indian soldiers were reported killed in a "violent confrontation" with Chinese soldiers along the de facto border of both countries in the Himalayas.
At a regular press conference on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Monday, "Indian troops seriously violated our consensus and twice crossed the border for illegal activities and provoked and attacked Chinese personnel. , which led to a serious physical conflict between the two parties ”.
"China has filed a strong protest and representation with the India side, and once again we solemnly ask the India side to follow our consensus and strictly regulate its front-line troops and not cross the line and cause no problems or unilaterally make movements that can complicate things, "added Zhao. "We both agree to solve this problem through dialogue and consultation and make efforts to alleviate the situation and maintain peace and tranquility in the border area."
The conflict India and Pakistan
In March 2019, Beijing was about to become involved in a long-standing dispute between India and Pakistan, when the latter's Air Force shot down two Indian planes over the disputed Kashmir region.
China has close economic, diplomatic and military ties to Pakistan, making it one of the nation's closest allies in the region.
Although the old tensions that existed in the region were not a big problem for Beijing, Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at SOAS University in London, told CNN, they did serve to remind Islamabad of China's importance as an ally.
And the escalation at that time put Beijing in an awkward position with India, which at the time was looking for other trading partners in the midst of a trade war with the United States. So China, which saw India as a potential trading partner, did not want to overstate its support for Pakistan and push India into the arms of the President of the United States, Donald Trump.
- With information from Ben Westcott, Steven Jiang, Steve George, Anish Gawande, Rishabh Madhavendra Pratap, Vedika Sud, Swati Gupta from CNN.
India and China conflict