Archive · 5 Sep 2026
Former CDS Chauhan Urges India-China Engagement Beyond Boundary Disputes
Anil Chauhan said China is a major long-term challenge for India.
India and China still disagree about their boundary and the Line of Actual Control.
He said this disagreement could sometimes create tension or escalation.
However, he also said the two countries should continue talking and cooperating.
They work together in groups such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS.
He welcomed reports about possible hotlines and military-level talks.
Chauhan also warned that the world is becoming less predictable.
He said India should stay watchful, build strong capabilities and rely more on itself.
Former CDS Anil Chauhan called China a long-term and comprehensive challenge for India.
He said the boundary remains unresolved, with no mutually agreed definition of the Line of Actual Control.
Chauhan said India-China relations cannot be limited to boundary issues and require continued engagement.
He described hotlines and corps commander-level talks in the Northeast as welcome developments.
He urged India to prepare for global uncertainty, regional instability, uneven enforcement of international law and increased reliance on self-reliance.
- Who
- Former CDS Anil Chauhan, with India-China relations and wider security challenges as the focus.
- What
- Chauhan assessed China’s challenge to India, the unresolved boundary, the need for engagement and broader global security risks.
- When
- September 5.
- Where
- Teen Murti Bhawan complex in New Delhi.
- Why
- To discuss threats and challenges to India’s security and how India should manage them.
- Speaker
- Former Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan
- China assessment
- China was described as a long-term and comprehensive challenge to India.
- Boundary status
- The boundary remains unresolved, and there is no mutually agreed definition of the Line of Actual Control.
- Recommended approach
- Chauhan said relations with China cannot be held hostage to boundary issues alone.
- Reported developments
- Possible hotlines and corps commander-level talks in the Northeast were described as welcome developments.
- Regional cooperation
- India and China engage through the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and BRICS.
- Broader risks
- Chauhan cited global geopolitical uncertainty, instability in India’s neighbourhood and uneven enforcement of international law.