The Sino-Indian Boundary Issue continues....

5. Interpretations of the McMahon Line: The Chinese interpretation of the McMahon Line, which they do not officially recognize, but which nevertheless continues as an

unacknowledged ‘interim de facto’ boundary, differs at places from the Indian interpretation. The basic Indian premise for the Indian interpretation is that the line follows the ‘watershed principle’, while the Chinese interpretation appears to be related to their understanding of the ‘LAC’. These differing interpretations of the line are by and large of a minor nature, compared to the major issue of the non-recognition of the line itself, but it was these differences which led to the flaring-up of the border dispute into a war, when posts were set up at Longju and Dhola as part of the Indian ‘forward policy’.

6. Re-Interpretation of the McMahon Line: A modern cartographic re-interpretation of the McMahon Line between India and China’s Tibet area is possible. This can be drawn by repositioning the line through the named prominent places, e.g.,

the various passes on the watershed, through which the line passes in the original McMahon map, and which are named on modern maps of 1:50,000 scale, prepared using satellite imagery, which show the same prominent places. Such a modern McMahon Line could show some variation from the version printed on existing maps of both sides.

To be continued...