Context:-The United States recognizes the McMahon Line as the international boundary between China and India in Arunachal Pradesh.
- The bipartisan resolution introduced in the upper chamber of Congress reaffirms that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India.
- McMahon Line – The McMahon Line serves as the de facto boundary between China and India in the Eastern Sector.
- It specifically represents the boundary between Arunachal Pradesh and Tibet, from Bhutan in the west to Myanmar in the east.
- China has historically disputed the boundary and claims the state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR).
- India’s stand: India recognises Simla Convention (1914) and Arunachal is controlled by India.
- China’s position: China calls Arunachal Pradesh as ‘Zangnan’ and refers to ‘South Tibet’.
- History of McMahon Line – It is named after Sir Henry McMahon, foreign secretary of British India, who drew the line.
- McMahon line is an 890-km border drew between British India and Tibet.
- It was drawn at the 1914 Simla Convention between the Great Britain, China, and Tibet.
- The border was drawn largely along the crest of the Himalayas, following the ‘highest watershed principle’.
- The People’s Republic of China occupied Tibet in the 1950s, never recognized the McMahon Line.
- Further China claims approximately 90,000 sq. km of territory in Arunachal Pradesh of India as its own.
- The McMahon Line is in alignment with the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Eastern Sector.
