Question

This agreement was formally signed by the dignitaries of India and China on 29 April 1954. This agreement led India to lose its buffer zone of Tibet to its hostile neighbour. This agreement implied that both countries would adhere to the principles of peaceful co-existence, non-aggression, non-interference, mutual respect, and equality. Ironically, China invaded and annexed Tibet in the 1962 Sino-Indian war, claiming its sovereignty over the region. Identify the agreement mentioned above.

• A. Maintenance of Peace and Tranquillity
• B. Border Defence Cooperation Agreement
• C. Autonomous Foreign Relations Agreement
• D. Panchsheel

Answer 1

The correct option is D Panchsheel

The Panchsheel Agreement was signed by Jawaharlal Nehru, the Indian Prime Minister and Zhou En Lai, the Chinese Premier on 29 April 1954. Due to the five principles enshrined in this agreement, it was also called 'Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence'. Despite agreeing to maintain peaceful relations, China invaded and annexed Tibet in the 1962 Sino-Indian war. Since then, the India-China relations have been driven by strategic and geopolitical calculations rather than by faith in peaceful coexistence. Even today, recurring border standoffs have incapacitated the status of the principle of peaceful coexistence.