The Sino-Indian Border Talks Under the Joint Working Group

Abstract

Since Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s visit to China in December 1988, the Joint Working Group (JWG) meetings have emerged as the most important instrument by which China and India can address their border dispute. While the confidence-building measures (CBMs) dominated the agenda of the early talks of the JWG, the focus was shifted to the clarification of the line of actual control (LA C) after 1999. Thanks to the CBMs along the borders the aim of avoiding unexpected conflicts and military clashes along the disputed border has so far proved achievable. However the task of clarjy5iing the alignment of the LAC seems to be more difficult than initiating the CBMs because there is division of opinion on the approach. Without further momentum or compulsion, maintaining the status quo along the border seems to be the best that can be hoped for in the foreseeable future.