In June, China and India withdrew troops and ended their standoff in Doklam, just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the 14th BRICS summit. However, the latest satellite images show that China has begun to build a village East of the Doklam plateau, which is an important area for India’s security interests. It is also an important region for India’s strategic relations.
This is the third village that China is building along the border, which is considered part of the country’s land grab strategy. According to sources, the new images also clearly show an all-weather carriageway. This aggressive progression by China is worrisome for India.
Over the past years, China has been building infrastructure in sensitive areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and other parts. In May this year, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command, Lt Gen R P Kalita, said that China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is continuously carrying out infrastructure work across the international border in Arunachal Pradesh. He also said that China is building what seems like border villages close to LAC, which can promote infrastructure and also stand in military operations. However, he said that India has been monitoring the situation continuously and would take appropriate action when needed.
General Charles A Flynn from the US, who visited India in June, said that China’s activity level along the border with India is alarming and should be taken seriously. He also pointed out that the diplomatic talks between India and China are helping control and stabilize the situation, but Beijing’s behaviour is troubling.
