[John Will]

What would China have to gain from attacking India?

[JasonC]

Last time (1962) they took Aksai Chin, securing a shorter land route between Tibet and western Xijang province. They also wanted to intimidate India out of its support for Tibet, and curry favor with Pakistan.

There is nothing in those highlands truly worth fighting for. But the sheer difficulty of anyone actually living there has long made it a region of disputed borders, and perverse men have not been wanting to fight over barren piles of useless rock.