It can hardly be disputed that Indian policy towards China was based on a seriously flawed premise right from the beginning that the two neighbours can live peacefully. India intended to buy peace with China by constantly swearing to friendship and goodwill. It is often alleged that Nehru being awestruck by the success of Chinese Communist Party could not see its imperialistic ambition within its socialist garb. The Indian leadership displayed undue enthusiasm on several occasions in a bid to win over Chinese goodwill. India was one of the first countries to recognize the new government led by Mao Tse Tung on 30 December 1949 soon after the communists overthrew the Nationalist Government of China led by Chiang Kai Shek. While the new communist government was facing opposition across the world, India lobbied for its status as permanent member of the UN Security Council. Even such overtures of friendship and goodwill did not impress the Chinese communists, nor restrain its hegemonistic ambitions for expansion.

As mentioned above, to the shock and dismay of the Indian leadership, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) entered Tibet in 1950 and occupied the entire country. India had a long history of cultural relations with Tibet and had inherited certain historical rights in Tibet flowing from British rule. The Indian leadership, however, meekly acquiesced in the Chinese occupation of Tibet without asserting our traditional rights. While Indian leadership scored a self goal by taking the issue of Kashmir to UN Security Council and by pledging a plebiscite, it utterly failed in internationalizing the Tibet issue by appealing to the international community or seeking intervention of the UN Security Council. The Indian leadership in their eagerness to appease the Chinese Communist Party, preferred to kneel when they were not required even to bend. An agreement was concluded between India and China in 1954 whereby the Chinese occupation of Tibet was formalized. The agreement is popularly known as PANCHSHEEL or the "Five Principles' which made it obligatory on the both signing parties to steadfastly adhere to the following terms:

1.       Mutual respect for each other's territorial sovereignty,
2.       Mutual non-aggression,
3.       Mutual non-interference in each other's internal affairs,
4.       Equality and mutual benefit, and
5.       Peaceful co-existence.

These lofty principles remained facile assurances penned on paper as far as China was concerned. Panchsheel was more honoured in breach by China. Meanwhile China continued to follow its imperialistic policy of aggression and expansion. Due to incessant repression, the people of Tibet revolted against the Chinese occupation in 1959. But the uprising was ruthlessly suppressed. Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetans was made to flee and seek political asylum in India. Immediately after suppressing the rebellion in Tibet, China moved southward to occupy Longju and 12,000 square miles of Indian territory (in Aksai plain) in Ladakh and refused to recognize McMahon Line as Indo-China border. By allowing China to occupy Tibet without even a semblance of protest, the Indian leadership facilitated the disappearance of a buffer state between India and China. It was one of the most strategic blunders by the Indian leadership benefiting the Chinese interest in the region.