US General calls Chinese infrastructure near India border in Ladakh 'alarming'
India Today
The US Army's Pacific Commanding General Charles A Flynn has raised concerns over defence infrastructure being built by China along its border with India in Ladakh.
The US Army's Pacific Commanding General Charles A Flynn has flagged concerns over the defence infrastructure being built by China along its border with India in Ladakh as "alarming".
Flynn, who is on a visit to India, also called the activities of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the Indo-Pacific region "destabilising and corrosive" and said that Indo-US ties were working as a “counterweight to the corruptive behaviour of the Chinese”.
Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a standoff in eastern Ladakh since May 5, 2020, when a violent clash between the two sides, that resulted in casualties on both sides, erupted in the Pangong lake area. Despite 15 rounds of military talks, the tension prevails in the area. The western theatre command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) oversees the India-China border.
The Chinese construction that Flynn was referring to came to the fore last month when a second bridge in the strategically important Pangong Tso area. This bridge could help its military to quickly mobilise its troops in the region.
Other Chinese infrastructure, such as roads and residential units, have also come up along the border with India. China is also involved in major maritime border disputes with various countries in the Indo-Pacific region, such as Vietnam and Japan.
Flynn said: "I believe that the activity level is eye-opening and some of the infrastructure that is being created in the (Chinese Army's) western theatre command is alarming." “One must ask 'why does China's military need such arsenal in all domains,” he said
"So, I do not have a crystal ball to tell you how it (India-China border standoff) is going to end or where we will be at. I will express to you that it is worthy of asking this question and try to get their response as to what are their intentions," he said.
