India–China Relations: Doklam Standoff

Abstract

The Doklam standoff of 2017 marked a critical juncture in India-China relations, representing one of the most significant military confrontations between the two Asian giants since the 1962 border war. This 73-day military face-off began on June 16, 2017, when the People's Liberation Army of China initiated road construction in the disputed Doklam plateau, a territory claimed by both China and India's ally Bhutan, near the strategically vital Siliguri Corridor. In response, India launched Operation Juniper on June 18, 2017, deploying approximately 270 armed troops with bulldozers across the Sikkim border to prevent the Chinese road construction activities. The standoff concluded on August 28, 2017, with both nations agreeing to withdraw their forces without military escalation, though China agreed to halt road construction temporarily. This incident exposed the fragility of existing confidence-building measures between the two nuclear-armed neighbors and fundamentally altered the strategic calculations of both nations, with implications extending beyond bilateral relations to impact regional stability and the broader international order. The crisis served as a stark warning to both sides that tensions caused by their competition and unresolved border issues could easily escalate and derail their relationship.