The point is, the China does NOT have a definite claim line. How can they have when their annexation of Tibet is itself illegal! They loosely lay claim to all areas where tibetian origin bhuddists people live. To this day, at all border resolution meetings, the chinese come ill prepared, don't mention what exactly is their claim line, and only indulge in chai-biskoot, throw tantrums, behave like pakis and leave. Perhaps the negotiators are sent there to bide their time by their higher ups.
China for sure has a claim line. The Maxwell book very clearly shows the same for the western sector (I did not refer to eastern sector). And the one on wikimapia map that I linked more or less follows the same alignment. The PLA aim in 1962 was to advance upto the 1960 claim line with express objective of removing any immediate threat to the Xinjiang-Tibet highway. Hence, the aim to capture/throw Indians off from DBO/Chusul/DhemchoK - places which could have served as the jump off point for the assault on the highway.
Just as an info, IA commanders did consider option for an offensive action through the Chusul sector and attack the Aksai-Chin plateau but were declined due to lack of troops and over riding requirement of defending Leh.
As for the legality of occupation of Tibet, it is not relevant. We are facing PLA and not Tibetan troops. There is difference here between theory and things actually on ground.
Now recently over the last 10-15 years, China has been indulging in territory grab, and consolidating their hold on territory they already have by building roads infrastructure.
In a disputed territory (albiet by one side), I would do the same to ensure that I get as much as territory as possible. The fact that we do not do so, is more a commentory on our attitude than anything else.
In 1962, the chinese withdrew from a lot of areas, which they held onto, because geography was not conducive to support even a short term territory hold there by their forces.
That was true for eastern sector. Definitely not for the western sector. They had much better infra in west than east. And we were severly handicapped. They moved upto a particular claim line and stayed put (I have given the reason above). Please refer to the official war history on BR in the Indian Army section. It is quite an impassioned analysis of the events.
The build up of the Indian army would have sooner or later resulted in them being booted off the territory they hold. They had expended everything they had on the 1962 border war, incurring horrendous casualties, in the initial attacks. India was late in building up, and the build up of troops was too less too late. But the numbers that India could have put up would have resulted in a good old stalemate
That assertion is not supported by any evidence on the ground. To this day, even the MOD has not been able to put across the Orbat of PLA forces facing the IA. Orbat.com has one on its website.
Please check the link:
http://orbat.com/site/history/historica ... a1962.html
Looking at the level of troops in the orbat above, what makes you think that PLA was an exhausted force? The only place IA offered any organized defence was in Chusul (114 Bde). So even though they suffered horrendous casualties in the frontal/wave type attacks, they were not down and out.
As for the Tawang bit - in 1962, western sector was far more important to the Chinese than Tawang. Tawang has received political importance recently. And as for claiming the entire AP, well, that is simply to ask ofr the maximum, put the other party on backfoot and settle for the goals already decided-all the while showing that one has negotiated.
Added later: THe Regiments in the Orbat above refer to a IA brigade level troops-usually 3 battalions.