Roads, Airport, Helipads: Pentagon Report Flags China Infra Boost Near LAC
NDTV
The report underlines that negotiations between India and China "made minimal progress as both sides resisted losing perceived advantages on the border".
China stepped up its military presence and infrastructure build-up along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in 2022 amid the border tension with India, a Pentagon report has said. Underground storage facilities, new roads, a dual-purpose airport and multiple helipads are part of Beijing's infrastructure push along the LAC, according to 'Military and Security Developments involving the People's Republic of China' report 2023.
"Since early May 2020, sustained tensions along the India-China border have dominated the Western Theater Command's attention. Differing perceptions between India and the PRC regarding border demarcations along the LAC, combined with recent infrastructure construction on both sides, led to multiple clashes, an ongoing standoff, and military buildups along the shared border," the report says.
It adds that China's Western Theater Command implemented large-scale mobilisation and deployment along LAC in response to the Galwan Valley clash that claimed the lives of 20 Indian soldiers. The deployments, the report said, are likely to continue through this year.
