Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement, 1993
| Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the Line of Actual Control in the India–China Border Areas | |
|---|---|
China–India border, showing two large disputed areas in Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh and several smaller disputes (map by CIA) | |
| Type | Standstill agreement Border management Confidence building measures |
| Context | India China boundary question |
| Signed | 7 September 1993 |
| Location | Great Hall of the People, Beijing, China |
| Condition | Ratification by China and India |
| Parties | |
| Languages |
|
The Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement (BPTA or MPTA; formally the Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the Line of Actual Control in the India–China Border Areas) is an agreement signed by China and India in September 1993, agreeing to maintain the status quo on their mutual border pending an eventual boundary settlement. The Agreement on Military Confidence Building Measures, 1996, pursuant to the 1993 agreement, incrementally details the military confidence building measures to be implemented that would ensure no-war. The Protocol for the Implementation of Military Confidence Building Measures, 2005 further discussed modalities to implement the confidence building measures.
In numerous border incidents the agreements have been adhered to, successfully maintaining peace, or in other words, successfully preventing conflict. The agreements are not solely responsible for this success. Political will and other interests in a peaceful border have also been responsible. On the other hand, the agreements have also been seriously and completely violated on numerous occasions, most recently during the 2020 China–India skirmishes.