'India Shares Border With Tibet, Not China': Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has said that no Indian state, including Arunachal, shares a border directly with China. Khandu said that Indian states share a border with Tibet and not China. However, he added that the forceful occupation of Tibet by China cannot be denied.  This comes days after China expressed willingness to discuss the border issue, including delimitation with India.

Speaking to PTI during an interview, the Arunachal CM said that India shares a border with Tibet only. CM Khandu said that China forcibly occupied Tibet in 1950 and the Chinese control over Tibet cannot be ruled out. The CM added that Arunachal Pradesh shares three international boundaries - approximately 100kms with Bhutan, around 1,200 kms with Tibet and 550 kms with Myanmar.

India-China Border Dispute

India and China have been locked in a long-standing border dispute with Beijing claiming Indian land as their own. The two nations have established a Special Representatives (SRs) mechanism to resolve the border dispute. Recenly, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that China is ready to discuss delimitation negotiation and border management with India to keep the border areas peaceful and tranquil.

Khandu also praised Dalai Lama and urged the Government to confer Bharat Ratna to the Tibetian leader in exile. 

Chinese Dam On Brahmaputra

Talking about the Chinese dam over Brahamputra river, Arunchal CM Khandu said that it has been a concern for the state and the country as well. He said that the mega dam being built by China near the border of Arunachal Pradesh will be a ticking 'water bomb'. He said that it could prove to be an existential threat more dangerous than Chinese military.

While speaking to PTI, Pema Khandu expressed serious concern over the construction of the world’s largest dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river—known in India as the Brahmaputra—highlighting that China’s refusal to sign international water treaties means it is not bound by global norms. Khandu underscored that China cannot be trusted as the country has been unpredictable.