The China-India land border conflict : A qualitative case study of the China-India border dispute from a realistic perspective

Abstract: Why has the China-India border conflict developed into what it is today? What could it become in the future? These questions will be discussed and analyzed from the perspective of offensive and defensive realism, which is based on John Mearsheimer’s theory of realism. This thesis is structured as a case study with a theory testing element with a main focus of analyzing and explaining the border conflict from offensive and defensive realism. This thesis concludes that the reason the border conflict has developed into what it is today is because China leans more towards offensive realism whilst India leans more towards defensive realism. In the future the conflict could develop into a continuation of the status quo, diplomatic resolution or escalation.