Commentary On Oct. 23, China’s top decision-making body voted to adopt a new law on the protection and exploitation of the country’s land border areas. The law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2022. Being the first of its kind, the timing of China’s enactment of such a legislation is significant, and it is aimed at Bhutan and especially India. China shares land borders with 14 countries, but has unresolved border conflicts with Bhutan and India. The China-India clash in Galwan Valley in June 2020 fractured the border management mechanism—the tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has only taken a rough turn, despite the levels of engagement at both diplomatic and military levels. In this context, China’s legislation of the border law can be understood in the context of two key aspects. The first aspect concerns the constantly changing dynamics at the India-China border, which is increasingly …