Sumdorong Chu

Sumdorong Chu
Mouth of Sumdorong Chu in Nyamjang Chu
Sumdorong Chu (Arunachal Pradesh)
Native nameགསུམ་རྡོ་རོང་ཆུ (Standard Tibetan)
Location
CountryChina; India
RegionShannan, Tibet; Arunachal Pradesh
DistrictTsona County; Tawang district
CityLė Township; Zemithang Circle
Physical characteristics
SourceEastern Himalayas
  locationLė Township
  coordinates27°47′44″N 91°49′18″E / 27.7956°N 91.8216°E / 27.7956; 91.8216
  elevation4,600 m (15,100 ft)
MouthNyamjang Chu valley
  coordinates
27°48′00″N 91°44′42″E / 27.80°N 91.745°E / 27.80; 91.745
  elevation
2,350 m (7,710 ft)
Basin features
ProgressionNyamjang Chu, Tawang Chu, Manas River
River systemBrahmaputra

Sumdorong Chu (Tibetan: གསུམ་རྡོ་རོང་ཆུ, Wylie: gsum rdo rong chu; Chinese: 桑多洛河; pinyin: Sāng duō luò hé) is a tributary of the Nyamjang Chu river that flows along the disputed Sino-Indian border between the Tsona County of Tibet and the Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh. It originates in the Tokpo Shiri Glacier, about 7–10 kilometres east of Nyamjang Chu, and flows down to the river. Its junction with Nyamjang Chu is about two kilometers to the north of that of Namka Chu, another contested river valley.

The Sumdorong Chu valley was the site of a standoff between India and China in 1986–1987 which, despite giving rise to the fears of another war, deescalated successfully. Subsequently, India and China formulated agreements for managing future border tensions.