Context: Asserting that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China are "sacred and inviolable", the country's national legislature has adopted a new law on the protection and exploitation of the land border areas, which could have a bearing on Beijing's border dispute with India.
Background

• China in recent years has been strengthening border infrastructure, including the establishment of air, rail and road networks. It also launched a bullet train in Tibet which extends up to Nyingchi, the border town close to Arunachal Pradesh.
• Besides that, China also began constructing a number of villages close to the border with proper infrastructure in Tibet which have become an essential and effective part of border defence, state-run Global Times reported on October 19.
• "By the end of 2020, Tibet had built more than 600 well-off, high-standard border villages. The roads connecting border villages are also quite accessible. At least 130 border roads have been newly built or reconstructed with a total length of 3,080 km," it quoted a report by the state-run Xinhua news agency.
• The new law calls for the establishment of trade areas and border economic cooperation zones at the borders. It also calls for improving the ecological environment along the border besides epidemic control and maintaining flood and fire control.

China's Border Disputes

• China has a 22,100-kilometer land border with 14 countries.
• It has resolved the boundary disputes with 12 neighbours.
• India and Bhutan are the two countries with which China is yet to finalise the border agreements.
• China and Bhutan signed an MOU firming up a three-step roadmap for expediting the boundary negotiations.
• India-China border disputes cover 3,488-km along the Line of Actual Control, China-Bhutan dispute covers about 400 km.

Key highlights of new border law

• The law, which becomes operational from January 1 next year, stipulates that "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the People's Republic of China are sacred and inviolable", it said.
• The Land Borders Law will not necessarily change how border security is handled, but it reflects China's growing confidence in its capability to manage its frontiers.
• The state shall take measures to safeguard territorial integrity and land boundaries and guard against and combat any act that undermines them, the report said. 
• Chinese military and military police — the People's Liberation Army and the People's Armed Police Force — are responsible for guarding the border against any "invasion, encroachment, infiltration, provocation".
• The law stipulates that China can close its border if a war or other armed conflict nearby threatens border security.
• The state shall, following the principle of equality, mutual trust and friendly consultation, handle land border-related affairs with neighbouring countries through negotiations to properly resolve disputes and longstanding border issues.
• The law states that the Chinese military "shall carry out border duties", including "organising drills" and "resolutely prevent, stop and combat invasion, encroachment, provocation and other acts".
• A significant aspect of the new law includes state support for the construction of border towns, improving their functioning and strengthening supporting capacity for the construction.
• The law also stipulates that the state shall take measures to strengthen border defence, support economic and social development as well as opening-up in border areas, improve public services and infrastructure in such areas, encourage and support people's life and work there, and promote coordination between border defence and social, economic development in border areas.

Key Concerns

• It would formalise some of China’s recent actions in disputed territories with both India and Bhutan. The passing of the law coincides with stepped up Chinese activity along the land borders, which have mirrored actions in disputed waters in the East and South China Sea.
• It includes the PLA’s massing of troops in forward areas along the India border and multiple transgressions across the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
• China in recent years has been strengthening border infrastructure, including the establishment of air, rail and road networks. It also launched a bullet train in Tibet which extends up to Nyingchi, the border town close to Arunachal Pradesh.
• The construction of new “frontier villages” along the border with Bhutan.