Chinese infrastructure in Tibet have military implications for India
- 5 years ago
TIBET — The Print reports that China's various infrastructure projects in Tibet could have military implications for India.
China is building the G-6 expressway to connect Beijing to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. While the Beijing to Xining portion is completed, the 546-kilometer stretch between Xining and Lhasa is still under construction.
From Lhasa, a 75-kilometer long, four-lane road is also being built to provide direct access to Tsedang, via huge twin tunnels that will cut across the mountain range.
The infrastructure for a Tibetan railway line from Lhasa to Nyingchi is also underway. The railway line is reportedly being laid, with stations being built in Gonggar, Dranang, Tsedang, and Nyingchi.
Satellite images published by The Print also reveal an underground facility constructed by the Chinese People's Liberation Army just 50 kilometers from the Indian border and 60 kilometers from the Indian Army's forward post.
The projects have strategic implications for the PLA, allowing convoys to cover the 3,725-kilometer distance between Beijing and Lhasa in four days or less.
But the large number of strategic routes may negatively impact India, as they could face serious difficulties in any future confrontation with China, according to a commentary from the Observer Research Foundation.
The Indian vice chief of army staff has voiced serious concerns about the lack of funding for the Army, pointing to Chinese infrastructural development along the northern borders to seek more resource allocation.
China is building the G-6 expressway to connect Beijing to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. While the Beijing to Xining portion is completed, the 546-kilometer stretch between Xining and Lhasa is still under construction.
From Lhasa, a 75-kilometer long, four-lane road is also being built to provide direct access to Tsedang, via huge twin tunnels that will cut across the mountain range.
The infrastructure for a Tibetan railway line from Lhasa to Nyingchi is also underway. The railway line is reportedly being laid, with stations being built in Gonggar, Dranang, Tsedang, and Nyingchi.
Satellite images published by The Print also reveal an underground facility constructed by the Chinese People's Liberation Army just 50 kilometers from the Indian border and 60 kilometers from the Indian Army's forward post.
The projects have strategic implications for the PLA, allowing convoys to cover the 3,725-kilometer distance between Beijing and Lhasa in four days or less.
But the large number of strategic routes may negatively impact India, as they could face serious difficulties in any future confrontation with China, according to a commentary from the Observer Research Foundation.
The Indian vice chief of army staff has voiced serious concerns about the lack of funding for the Army, pointing to Chinese infrastructural development along the northern borders to seek more resource allocation.