A video showing what appears to be a violent clash between Indian and Chinese troops at their disputed Himalayan border has emerged online. CNN cannot independently verify the video, which was posted on Tuesday. But it gives a window into the tensions between the two nuclear-armed Asian giants.
The incident took place in the remote area of Tawang in northeast India, near the boundary with China’s Xinjiang province. In a statement, India’s defense minister accused China of trying to unilaterally change the status quo at the Line of Actual Control. He said soldiers on both sides sustained minor injuries.
Normally, skirmishes like this are contained through backchannel communication and field-level disengagement protocols. But politics can quickly turn a border dispute into a national and regional crisis.
A similar dynamic is unfolding in South Sudan, where fighting between Ugandan and South Sudanese forces has left the border community in chaos. The conflict stems from unclear colonial-era boundaries and could escalate amid growing local tensions and food stress.
The escalation comes despite a recently announced deal between the two sides to avoid face-offs at contested borders, including the one with Uganda. The two agreed to pull back their troops a little from current positions and patrol according to a schedule that will be reviewed monthly. But it is unclear whether the pact will apply to the entire 3,500-kilometer (2,100-mile) border or only hotspots that have previously seen clashes. Both sides also still have a long way to go to reach a permanent solution to the dispute.
