New China envoy finally arrives in India, but defrosting ties will be tricky

Analysts see border dispute as sticking point, with no resolution in sight

- Nirmala Ganapathy

The arrival of the new Chinese ambassador to India, Mr Xu Feihong, some 18 months after the departure of his predecessor Sun Weidong, is being seen as a first step by Beijing towards improving ties marred by border troubles.

Still, analysts believe, any rapprochement would remain tricky, given the deep distrust in New Delhi over Beijing's intentions concerning the two countries' contested border.

India and China have disputes at multiple points along the de facto border, known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

In an interview with Chinese and Indian journalists before his arrival in India on May 10, the new Chinese envoy said he would "work to restore exchanges and cooperation in various fields, and create favourable conditions for a sound and steady China-India relationship".

Analysts noted the timing of his arrival in India during a general election in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is widely seen as the front runner. Election results are due on June 4.

"I think depending on what kind of mandate Mr Modi gets, if he gets re-elected, certainly there might be some sort of calculation in Beijing that this is a moment to start afresh, if you will. How that goes and what might be the consequence still remain in the realm of speculation," said Professor Harsh V. Pant, vice-president for studies and foreign policy at New Delhi-based think-tank Observer Research Foundation.

"But, fundamentally, the relationship will remain uneasy.

So I think the best that perhaps the two nations can look forward to is better management of a challenging relationship," he said, adding that the challenges are "not going to go anywhere anytime soon".

Ties have remained under stress since a 2020 border clash in the Ladakh region, in which both sides suffered casualties. It led to heightened tensions and further clashes at several points along the contested border.