India and China were easing tensions - then a border official spoke out

India and China have a fragile thaw in relations since the 2020 clashes For much of the past year, India-China relations appeared to be on a cautious path to recovery. The two countries have seen ups and downs in their ties over decades - especially over the disputed Himalayan frontier. But events of the past few days suggest that the thaw which has followed their most recent clashes in 2020 may be more fragile than it seems. The latest concerns began when India's border police chief said Chinese troops had returned to disputed areas along the Himalayan frontier in large numbers earlier this year, pitching tents several kilometres inside territory claimed by India. The remarks , director general of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), have triggered a political controversy in Delhi. To begin with, such comments . Sensitive border issues are usually addressed . At a recent gathering of officers in Rajasthan state, Kapur said face-offs between Indian and Chinese troops had taken place at several locations in the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh and were continuing. The confrontations began in July, he said, but both sides initially withdrew. A few days later, Chinese troops returned in larger numbers and pitched tents "around six-to-seven kilometres inside India's perception of the Line of Actual Control (LAC)", he added. The LAC is an ill-defined line separating the areas controlled 3,440km (2,100-mile) border. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet. But Delhi has always rejected the claim, saying the state was an integral part of India. The dispute is one of the most persistent challenges inherited 1947. It led to a brief border war in 1962, in which India suffered a humiliating defeat. More than six decades later, much of the frontier remains undemarcated, with the two countries maintaining overlapping territorial claims. The region's rugged terrain adds to the challenge: shifting river courses, lakes and snow-covered peaks make it difficult to establish a clear boundary. As a result, troops from the two sides can find themselves face-to-face along the frontier, sometimes triggering violent clashes and diplomatic tensions. India and China share an ill-defined border demarcated by mountains, rivers and lakes The last major escalation came in June 2020, when Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh. At least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers were killed. It was the first fatal confrontation between the two sides since 1975. Indian opposition parties accused the government of losing territory to China - a claim Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has repeatedly rejected.