The Sino-Indian Border Dispute Section 2: 1959-61 - The Black Vault

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"a certain discrepancy between the delineations on the maps
of the two sides in the sector south of the so-called McMahon
line," but the China-Bhutan border "has always been tranquil,"
Regarding Sikkim, the boundary "has long been formally delimited
and there is neither any discrepancy between the
maps nor any disputes in practice.** Allegations, therefore,
that China wants to %ncroach onf* Bhutan and Sikkim are
"sheer nonsense." In this way, the Chinese sought to contradict
persistent reports about Chinese subversive aims in
these border states.
The Chinese note was hard on matters of substance.
It gave a detailed legal and historical justification for
Peiping's border claims, creating a massive case on the
matters of (1) whether the border had ever been formally ?-
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delimited and (2) where the *'traditional customaryt* bounaary '
line actually la. Regarding the Aksai Plain, it is the
"only traffic artery linking Sinkiang and western Tibet."
As for the McMahon line, Chinese Communist military and
civil personnel were under orders "not to cross it,'' but
Chou's references to it In his talks with Nehru in late
1950 lWan by no means be interpreted as recognition of this
line" by Peiping. The note then emphasized that the prerequisites
for an overall settlement were recognition of
the undelimited status of the border and a mutual withdrawal
of 124 miles or any distance jointly agreed on.
In sum, the note's early portions contained a clever
refutation of Indian claims and its final portions sounded
almost aggrieved that Nehru had so mlsdudged Chinese intentions.
The massive case it presented on the matter of border
delimitat ion and on the "tradit ional customary" boundary
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