Differing perceptions of the Line of Actual Control

It maintains that the two sides have different perception of where the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between the territories of the two countries lies.

[1] For many decades India and China carried forward the differing perceptions theory.

India has called this as one of the causes for the loss of Indian territory to China's salami slicing.

[4] Written in the Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement, 1993: "When necessary, the two sides shall jointly check and determine the segments of the line of actual control where they have different views as to its alignment".

Further the 1996 agreement uses the phrase "different perceptions":[6] Recognizing that the full implementation of some of the provisions of the present Agreement will depend on the two sides arriving at a common understanding of the alignment of the line of actual control in the India-China border areas, the two sides agree to [...] As an initial step in this process, they are clarifying the alignment of the line of actual control in those segments where they have different perceptions.In the backdrop of the 2020–2021 China–India skirmishes, Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh, used the phrase in a Lok Sabha statement, "...both (India, China) have different perceptions of LAC";[7][8] in the Rajya Sabha, "there is no common perception of the entire LAC", "there are some areas where the Chinese and Indian perceptions of LAC overlap".