The Sino-Indian Boundary Issue continues .....

The ‘Macartney-MacDonald Line’ of 1899 and the Lokzhung (Loqzung or Lak Tsang) Range: This line was another British proposal, of 14th March 1899, proposing a boundary between British India and Chinese Turkestan (Xinjiang) that never got to the agreement stage. George Macartney was the Britishrepresentative in Kashgar, Chinese Turkestan, and Sir Claude MacDonald was the British Minister in Peking. The proposed line gave most of Aksai Chin to China, but the Chinese government of 1899 never replied to the proposal. The line ran along the Karakoram Range east of the Karakoram Pass, and then turned south-eastwards from east of Qizil Jilga along a range of low hills, the Lokzhung Range, to Lanak La at the head of the Changchenmo Basin. This range divides Aksai Chin into a larger northern-eastern part, the Aksai Chin proper, and a smaller area south of it, the Lingzi Tang salt plains. China was offered the larger northern part. With some minor adjustments, this is still a suitable line for an agreed division of Aksai Chin, with China retaining the area under its control, and through which its road to Xinjiang runs. (see map in slides)

9. The Karakoram Range: The Karakoram Pass on the Karakoram Range, and the watershed separating the Indus River and the Tarim Basin form a mutually-agreed boundary between Chinese Sinkiang and the Kashmir state, agreed to by the Chinese in 1892. The disputed area of the border begins to the east of the Karakoram range. Since this part of the Sino-Indian boundary is not under dispute, it does not form part of the ‘Line of Actual Control’ (LAC) between India and China.

To be continued......