TTLA: Border issues in India-China relations from 1950 to 2014

1. Full name of PhD student: Huynh Thanh Loan 2. Gender: Female

3. Date of birth: July 2, 1984 4. Place of birth: Ho Chi Minh City

5. Decision on recognition of PhD students No.: 3684/2015/QD-XHNV-SDH dated December 31, 2015

6. Changes in training process: no

7. Thesis topic: Border issues in India - China relations in the period 1950-2014.

8. Major: World History 9. Code: 62 22 03 13

10. Scientific advisors: Prof. Dr. Do Tien Sam, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thien Thanh

11. Summary of new results of the thesis:

- The India-China border issue is a historical issue. However, the India-China border issue is also a problem created by a series of events that took place after 1950 when China “liberated” Tibet in 1950-1951, when India and China signed the 1954 Agreement on Tibet, and more specifically after India decided to grant asylum to the Dalai Lama in India in 1959. In other words, the policy decisions of the political leaders of India and China during the period from 1950-1959 contributed to the creation of the India-China border issue and made it accompany India-China relations throughout the history of diplomatic relations between the two countries until now.

- Border events occurring between two countries are affected by many factors, which can be identified asFive fundamental factors leading to India and China's border policy decisions. These five factors are historical legacy, geostrategic importance of disputed areas, strategic competition between India and China, great power nationalism, and the two “thorns” of Tibet and Pakistan. However, these factors do not exist in their original form, but have undergone significant changes in their intensity and nature throughout the stages of India-China bilateral relations.

- The unresolved India-China border also lies in the fact that, although both countries approach it from a historical and political-strategic perspective, at the negotiating table, the two countries lean towards one perspective or the other. In the initial stage, India tended to negotiate based on historical and legal evidence, and resolve it on a regional basis, while China approached the border issue from a political and strategic perspective with exchange proposals. However, in the later stage, India became more flexible in negotiating with China, with both countries emphasizing political will as the main foundation in the negotiations.

- During the course of the border dispute from 1950 to 2014, the India-China border went through three basic stages. In the 1950-1962 period, the India-China border relationship could be described as a “friendly relationship with traces of cracks”; in the 1963-1987 period, the India-China border was in the vortex of post-war hostility and gradual reassessment of the border issue; and in the 1989-2014 period, the two countries established various stabilization measures to handle border disputes through negotiation mechanisms, but clashes occurred alongside cautious efforts to handle conflicts and build trust; along with that, great power nationalism and strategic competition were further heightened as both countries rose, deepening mutual distrust.

- In seeking to resolve the border dispute, India has shown more goodwill than China. This is clearly demonstrated through the actions of Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi (1969), Rajiv Gandhi (1988), and Vajpayee (2003). Vajpayee made a “breakthrough” in the history of border negotiations with China when he accepted that there was no need to resolve the border issue as a precondition; instead, he developed other areas with great potential for cooperation, such as the economic sector. Meanwhile,East-West Exchange Packageis a consistent view in China's border policy - a form of potential cooperation that benefits China.

12. Practical application:

- Useful reference for lecturers, researchers and those interested in border issues in India-China relations.

- Suggest some policies for Vietnam when developing relations with India and China.

13. Further research directions:

- Strategic competition between India and China

14. Published works related to the thesis:

Vietnamese

1. Huynh Thanh Loan (2015), “Civil society activities in India”,Journal of Indian and Asian Studies(10), pp. 10-17.

2. Huynh Thanh Loan (2016), “The influence of Indian civilization on Cham writing”,Journal of Indian and Asian Studies(3), pp. 16-23.

3. Huynh Thanh Loan (2016), “Border demarcation policy of the British Empire in the Northeast region of India”,Journal of Indian and Asian Studies(9), pp. 9-16.

4. Huynh Thanh Loan (2017), “Vietnam - India Relations: From Ancient Cultural Contact to Today's People-to-People Connection”,Journal of Indian and Asian Studies(2), pp. 1-10.

5. Huynh Thanh Loan (2017), “India's soft power diplomacy strategy under President Nadrenra Modi and practice in Vietnam”, Proceedings of the International Conference:Vietnam - India: 45 years of diplomatic relations and 10 years of strategic partnership, March 2017, Center for Indian Studies, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, pp. 257-266.

6. Huynh Thanh Loan (2017), “Overseas Indian Community Policy and the Role of the Indian Community in Vietnam”, Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference:45 years of Vietnam - India relations: Achievements and Prospects, May 2017, Institute of Indian and Southwest Asian Studies, Hanoi, pp. 327-358.

7. Huynh Thanh Loan (2017), “The nationalist factor in the India-China border issue”,Journal of Indian and Asian Studies(8), pp. 9-16.

8. Huynh Thanh Loan (2017), “The art of building national image through India's soft power tools”, Proceedings of the International Conference:India's soft power - Vietnam's soft power in the context of regionalization and globalization, December 2017, Center for Indian Studies, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, pp. 242-252.

9. Huynh Thanh Loan (2018), “India's Way of Building National Image”,Journal of Indian and Asian Studies(3), pp. 57-63.

10. Huynh Thanh Loan (2018), “Evaluating efforts to resolve border disputes between India and China in the period 1977-1987”,Journal of Indian and Asian Studies(5), pp. 24-31.

English

11. Huynh Thanh Loan (2017), “Vienam's Foreign Policy: The Role of India in the South China Sea Issue”, International Conference Proceedings:South China Sea: Emerging Scenario, July 24-26, 2017, Sriventakeshwara University, Tirupati, India, pp. 99-109.

12. Huynh Thanh Loan (2017), “The Position of India in Vietnam's Foreign Policy”, International Conference Proceedings:Emerging Horizons in India - Vietnam Relations, July 3-4, 2017, Zakir Husain Delhi College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, pp. 8-27.

INFORMATION ON DOCTORAL THESIS

1. Full name: Huynh Thanh Loan 2. Sex: Female

3. Date of birth: 2^ndJuly 1984 4. Place of birth: Ho Chi Minh City

5. Admission decision number: 3684/2015/QD-XHNV-SDH Dated December 31, 2015

6. Changes in academic process:

7. Official thesis title: The Border Issue in India - China Relations in the Period 1950-2014

8. Major: World History 9. Code: 62 22 03 13

10. Supervisors: Prof. Dr. By Tien Sam, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Thien Thanh

11. Summary of the new findings of the thesis:

- India-China border issue is an issue left by history. The issue, however, is also one created by a series of events that took place after 1950 when China liberated Tibet from 1950 to1951; India and China signed the 1954 Agreement, and more particularly after India's decision to give asylum to the Dalai Lama in 1959. In other words, in the period of 1950-1959, India and China's policy decisions contributed to the emergence of the Indo-Chinese border issue and made it become an inevitable part of Indo-Chinese relations throughout their bilateral diplomatic relations up to now.

- Boundary events occurring between the two countries are influenced by various factors, which can be identified with five basic ones that lead to the border policy decisions by India and China. These five factors are historical legacy, the geo-strategic importance of disputed areas, the strategic competition between India and China, nationalism, and two “thorns” - Tibet and Pakistan. These factors, however, have not existed in their original forms, but significantly changed in the level and nature during each period of India-China bilateral relations.

- India-China border issue remains unresolved is also due to the fact that despite the same historical, political-strategic approaches, the two countries prefer different approaches on the negotiating table. In the early stages, India tends to negotiate based on historical and legals, and region by region, while China prefers solution based on political and strategic perspective with swap deal proposals. However, at later stage, India became more flexible in negotiations with China, both of the countries emphasizing politics will be the main foundation in negotiations.

- During the process of the border dispute from 1950 to 2014, the Indo-Chinese border has gone through three basic periods. During the 1950-1962 period, Indo-Chinese border relations could be described as “a friendship with rifts”, while during the period 1963-1987, the Indo-Chinese border was in the vortex of a patchy relationship after a hostile “break-up”. Between 1989 and 2014, the two countries have set up different measures to handle border disputes through negotiation mechanisms; however, stand-offs go hand in hand with cautious efforts in dealing with conflicts and confidence building. There are also nationalism of “big country” and strategic competition being pushed up by both of the countries during their rise, reinforcing their mutual distrust.

- When trying to resolve border disputes, India has shown more goodwill than China. This is evident in the moves of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi (1969), Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi (1988), and Prime Minister Vajpayee (2003). Vajpayee has made a “breakthrough” in the history of border negotiations with China when he comes to develop other potential cooperation fields, such as the economic one without border settlement as a precondition. Meanwhile, the Swap Deal Package is a consistent perspective of China's border policy - a form of potential cooperation beneficial to China.

12. Practical applicability, if any:

- Being a useful reference for lecturers, researchers and those who are interested in the border issue in India-China relations.

- Suggesting some practical policies for Vietnam to develop its relations with India and China

13. Further research directions, if any:

- Strategic Competition between India and China.

14. Thesis-related publications:

Vietnamese

1. Huynh Thanh Loan (2015), “Activities of Social Societies in India”,Journal of Indian and Asian Studies, (10), pp. 10-17.

2. Huynh Thanh Loan (2016), “Influence of Indian civilization on Cham scripts”,Journal of Indian and Asian Studies(3), pp. 16-23.

3. Huynh Thanh Loan (2016), “The Border Demarcation Policy of the British Raj in the Northeast India”,Journal of Indian and Asian Studies(9), pp. 9-16.

4. Huynh Thanh Loan (2017), “Vietnam – India Relations: From ancient contacts to people-to-people connection today”,Journal of Indian and Asian Studies(2), pp. 1-10.

5. Huynh Thanh Loan (2017), “India's policy of soft power under Prime Minister Nadrenra Modi and its practice in Vietnam”, International Conference Proceedings:Vietnam – India: 45 years of diplomatic relations and 10 years of strategic partnership, March 2017, Center of Indian Studies, Ho Chi Minh Political Academy, pp. 257-266.

6. Huynh Thanh Loan (2017), “The Policy of Indian Diaspora and the role of Indian Diaspora in Vietnam”, International Conference Proceedings:45 years of Vietnam – India Relations: Achievements and Prospects, May 2017, Institute of Indian and Southwest Asian Studies, pp. 327-358.

7. Huynh Thanh Loan (2017), “Factor of Nationalism in India - China Border Issue”,Journal of Indian and Asian Studies(8), pp. 9-16.

8. Huynh Thanh Loan (2017), “Art of building national image through India's soft power”, International Conference Proceedings:Indian Soft Power – Vietnam's Soft Power in the context of regionalization and globalization, September/2017, Center of Indian Studies, Ho Chi Minh Political Academy, pp. 242-252.

9. Huynh Thanh Loan (2018), “The way to build Indian national image”,Journal of Indian and Asian Studies(3), pp. 57-63.

10. Huynh Thanh Loan (2018), “An Assessment of the Efforts to Resolve Border Dispute between India and China in the period of 1977-1987”,Journal of Indian and Asian Studies(5), pp. 24-31.

English

11. Huynh Thanh Loan (2017), “Vienam's Foreign Policy: The Role of India in the South China Sea Issue”, International Conference Proceedings:South China Sea: Emerging Scenario, July 24-26, 2017, Sriventakeshwara University, Tirupati, India, pp. 99-109.

12. Huynh Thanh Loan (2017), “The Position of India in Vietnam's Foreign Policy”, International Conference Proceedings:Emerging Horizons in India - Vietnam Relations, July 3-4, 2017, Zakir Husain Delhi College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, pp. 8-27.