China considers the Kongka Pass as its boundary with India, whereas India regards Lanak Pass further east as the boundary.
Incident
On October 20, 1959, three Indian border patrol officers crossed the Kongka Pass to the south of the empty Kazan Pass in the northwestern part of Tibet. They were warned by Chinese border guards, but the Indians ignored their warning. The border guards then detained the Indians. The next day, on October 21, an Indian patrol consisting of 70 border patrol officers entered the same area to search for the men who were declared missing, but were ambushed by the Chinese, who were well-entrenched and firing from high positions. The Indians scrambled for cover and returned fire, killing a Chinese soldier, Wu Guoqing. The remaining 13 members of the Chinese patrol team led by squad leader Wenjie then responded. The Chinese counterattacked, forcing them to retreat. The battle ended with nine Indian border patrol officers dead, three others wounded, and seven captured by the Chinese. Wu Guoqing was buried in Shuler Martyrs Cemetery.
Aftermath
After the incident, the Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a communique on October 23, accusing China of aggression. On October 26, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China replied to India's allegations, and expressed the hope that the Indian government will focus on Sino-Indian friendship and maintain the border peace. In India, the Indian government’s explanation of the incident set off a strong nationalist sentiment: Nehru’s attitude towards the border issue gradually changed. On November 7, Zhou Enlai sent a letter to Nehru, proposing two steps to resolve disputes: 1. China and India each fall back 20 kilometers to set aside a buffer zone for conflict; 2. Hold a moderate-level talks between China and India. On November 16, Nehru replied with a letter rejecting the proposal. On November 14, the Chinese border guards handed over the captured Indian soldiers, bodies and weapons. In 1960, Zhou Enlai visited India and met with Prime Minister Nehru to propose a settlement of the border issue. He did not accept the Indian side. Since June 1962, the Indian Prime Minister Nehru issued a forward policy. In August, China issued diplomatic protests which accused India of violating the McMahon Line. The Indian government maintained that the intention of the McMahon Line was to set the border along the highest ridges, and that the international border fell on the highest ridges of Thag La, about north of the line drawn by Henry McMahon on the treaty map. These events led to the Sino-Indian War.
