The World University Games, which start on Friday, July 28 in Chengdu, have seen India withdraw its whole wushu (martial arts) squad in protest over China's decision to provide three athletes from Arunachal Pradesh stapled visas rather than stamped ones.
According to coach Raghvendra Singh, the decision came hours after airport authorities in New Delhi stopped an eight-member entourage, consisting of five athletes, a coach, and two support personnel, minutes before departure on Thursday night at midnight, at the boarding gate.
According to Singh, they were halted at the gate by immigration officers and CIS soldiers. "They didn't give any reason and claimed they were just following orders from the government," he added.
Arunachal Pradesh athletes, who were supposed to fly at 1.05 a.m. on Friday, July 28, were not among those denied boarding, according to Singh.
“This is unacceptable, and we have lodged our strong protest with the Chinese side, reiterating our consistent position on the matter. India reserves the right to suitably respond to such action,” India’s External Affairs Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi told reporters.
In 2011, the Chinese Embassy gave stapled visas to five Arunachal Pradesh karate players for a championship in the Chinese city of Quanghou. For the same reason, two teenage archers were barred from competing in the Youth World Archery Championship in 2013.
On the ground, the so-called Line of Actual Control divides Chinese and Indian-held territory, stretching from the western region of Ladah to India's eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims entirely. India and China engaged in border fighting in 1962.
Soldiers from both sides have patrolled regions around the disputed boundary in recent years. Armed conflict is common, and the two Asian superpowers have accused one another of sending troops into the other's land.
These ongoing border conflicts and military standoffs highlight the intricacies and challenges in India and China's relationship, two large Asian nations with enormous geopolitical clout. The resolution of these territorial conflicts remains critical to regional stability and international relations
Indeed, a huge clash happened in the Galwan Valley, which is part of the Karakoram mountains in the Ladah area, in June 2020. When soldiers from both sides participated in a violent conflict using improvised weapons such as stones, fists, and clubs, tensions between India and China rose. This clash resulted in the deaths of at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers.
Both India and China strengthened their military presence in the region in the aftermath of this terrible occurrence. Tens of thousands of troops from both sides were deployed, backed up by heavy armament such as artillery, tanks, and fighter jets, escalating tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto boundary between the two countries.
The Galwan Valley conflict was one of the most major and fatal episodes in the border region in decades, drawing international attention to India and China's continuous border dispute and military standoffs.
The situation has remained delicate, and both countries have maintained a watchful presence in the region. Efforts to deescalate tensions and find a solution to the long-standing border dispute continue, but have proven difficult.
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