India-China Dispute in Pangong area

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Recently, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that two bridges are built by China in the Pangong area which have been under the illegal occupation of China since the 1960s.

About 

• The bridge being referred to is a second structure that China is building, right next to the bridge it constructed earlier this year, in an area that lies along India’s claim line. 
• The bridge is near the halfway mark of the boomerang-shaped, 135- km-long Pangong Tso. 
  • India has about 45 km of the lake under its control.
• The bridge is located around 20 km east of Finger 8 on the north bank of the lake, which India says is the point that marks the Line of Actual Control (LAC). 
• The area has been under Chinese control since 1958, although it is just west of India’s claim line, which, according to India, is its international boundary.
• It is just east of a ruin named Khurnak Fort, where China has major frontier defence bases. The region is called Rutong County by China. 
• China has a frontier defence company at the Khurnak Fort, and a water squadron further east at Banmozhang.                                                                                                                         
• First Bridge: 
  • The first bridge that was visible in satellite images was about 400 metres long and 8 metres wide; 
  • It was believed to be built for movement of security forces between the north and south banks of Pangong Tso. 
• Indian Government’s stand: 
  • These bridges were two of the most contentious friction points during the over two-year-long ongoing standoff in eastern Ladakh. 
  • In February 2021, both sides pulled back troops from some of these friction points.
  • India has made it clear on several occasions that the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India and other countries are expected to respect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Significance for China

• Mobilise its troops faster: The new bridge built by China will allow it to mobilise its troops faster in this area, hoping to prevent a repeat of what happened in 2020.
• Infrastructural development: The widening of roads, building of new roads and bridges, new bases, airstrips, advance landing bases, etc are not restricted to the eastern Ladakh region, but are happening across the three sectors of the India-China boundary.
• Upper hand: The Bridge is in Chinese territory, and the Indian Army will have to now factor this in its operational plans.
• New border law: China has implemented its new border law that calls for strengthening its border defence, development of villages and infrastructure near the borders and also lays down conditions under which emergency measures can be imposed in the border areas.
• China renamed 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh on its map. Although the law is not specially meant for India, it has significant implications as the border dispute with China has flared up.

Border disputes between India & China

• In the Western sector: 
  • Here India shares 2152 km long border with China, and territorial disputes over Aksai Chin region of Jammu and Kashmir, with both countries claiming the region as their own. 
  • The recent dispute is around the region of the northern bank of Pangong Tso lake, Demchok and the Galwan Valley. 
• In the middle sector:
  • Here India roughly shares about a 625 km long boundary with China with a few minor disputes regarding Tibet. 
• In the Eastern Sector:
  • Here India shares a 1,140 km long boundary with China and this boundary line is called McMahon Line. 
  • The major dispute here is around the region of Tawang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh, Chumbi Valley (Dokalam Tri- Junction) which India shares with Bhutan. 

Steps Taken by India

• Developing Infrastructure: 
  • India has been improving its infrastructure in the border areas.
  • The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) completed more than 100 projects in border areas, the majority of which were close to the border with China.
  • India is speeding up work on the Nimu-Padam-Darcha axis which is going to help troops move to Ladakh from other parts of the country.
• Improved Surveillance: 
  • India is also improving its surveillance along the entire 3488-km boundary, and has been building new airstrips and landing areas.
• Occupied key heights on the Kailash range: 
  • Towards the end of 2020, India outmanoeuvred China to capture the previously unoccupied heights of the Kailash Range on the south bank of the lake.

Way Ahead

• The Indian government has to keep a constant watch on all developments that have a bearing on India’s security and takes all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
• To ensure that the nation’s security interests are fully protected, the government should step up development of border infrastructure, including construction of roads, bridges, etc.
• The objective of creating infrastructure along the border areas should not only be to meet India’s strategic and security requirements but also facilitate the economic development of these areas.

Source: IE