Since their troops battled in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in June 2020, hostilities between India and China have been building. Now, China is building a second bridge across Pangong Tso lake with direct access to Ladakh.
According to reports using satellite photographs from the region, China is constructing a second bridge across East Ladakh’s Pangong Tso lake, parallel to the first. The bridge may allow the People’s Liberation Army to move more quickly through the terrain.
When border hostilities between the two nations heated up in June 2020, the Pangong Tso lake was one of the main flashpoints. India owns one-third of the almost 160-kilometer-long lake, while China owns the other two-thirds. The Indian and Chinese military agreed to withdraw soldiers from the lake’s north and south shores in February 2021.
According to Hindustan Times, the new bridge could be 10 meters wide and 450 meters long, according to Damien Symon, an analyst who follows Chinese developments along the Line of Actual Control. Symon used Twitter to provide satellite photographs of the bridge.
“Recent imagery [dated April 29] shows roadworks have begun to join the bridge most likely to Rutog, giving China’s PLA troops in the area quicker connectivity through the terrain,” Symon wrote in a tweet.
According to the Hindustan Times, there may be a gap under the bridge to accommodate for boat transportation, according to the present evaluation.
The Indian Army and government officials have remained silent about the bridge’s alleged construction.
On January 4, reports appeared that China was constructing the first bridge across the Pangong Tso lake in East Ladakh, more than 20 kilometers east of Finger 8 on the lake’s north bank.
While India claims Finger 8 as the Line of Actual Control, China claims Finger 4. China has a base east of Finger 8 and India has a permanent position at the Dhan Singh Thapa station near Finger 3.
According to the Hindustan Times, Symon defined the first bridge as a “service bridge” that was built in April.
Both bridges will cut the distance between Chinese Army troops on the northern bank of the lake and a base in Rutog by around 150 kilometers.
China has continuing to construct infrastructure along the Indian border.
The Chinese armed forces are creating infrastructure along the international boundary in Arunachal Pradesh, according to Lieutenant General RP Kalita, the general officer commanding-in-chief of the Eastern Command.
Satellite photographs from November revealed that China has built at least 60 buildings in Arunachal Pradesh. Another set of satellite photographs released in January revealed that China has built a new village with 101 dwellings in Arunachal Pradesh, around 4.5 kilometers within Indian territory. Throughout the year, it has also conducted multiple border drills.
Arunachal Pradesh is claimed by China as part of southern Tibet, which India denies.
The recent times have witnessed China inventing fictional names for Arunachal Pradesh that simply did not exist before. A total of 15 provinces in the state have been given new names by China which led some to take a deep look into the matter. The names pertain to eight residential districts, four mountain summits, two rivers, and one mountain pass.
Since their troops battled in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in June 2020, hostilities between India and China have been building. The clash resulted in the deaths of twenty Indian soldiers. The number of Chinese casualties was stated at four. The two countries have had many rounds of military and diplomatic discussions to de-escalate tensions since the brutal confrontation.
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