Beijing: Tension has once again started increasing between India and China on the eastern Ladakh border. Actually, China is building a bridge on the banks of Pangong Tso Lake. The bridge is now over 400 meters long and once completed will give China a significant military edge in the region. This is an area with Pangong Tso lake near eastern Ladakh, about which India-China Border Tensions are creating a standoff. The bridge is eight meters wide and is located just south of a Chinese army field on the northern bank of Pangong. There are also Chinese hospitals and soldiers’ residences here.
According to media reports, satellite images from January 16 show Chinese construction workers using a heavy crane to help attach the bridge’s pillars to the concrete slab. The tarmac has to be laid on top of it. Looking at the pace of construction, it seems that the bridge will be ready in a few months.
However, the road to Rutog will take longer to complete. Rutog is the main Chinese military center in the area. The construction of this bridge is a matter of concern for India because the Chinese army can deploy soldiers on any side of the lake with great speed through it.
Construction going on in the territory occupied by China since 1958
However, the new bridge has been constructed in the territory occupied by China since 1958. But it is completely clear that India considers the construction of this bridge to be completely illegal. “This is where India practically claims to be the Line of Actual Control,” says Sim Tak, Chief Military Analyst, Force Analysis. It is the narrowest point of the lake. But it also shows the encroachment of Chinese infrastructure in the political context, up to India’s interpretation of the LAC.
Chinese troops on the northern bank of the lake will no longer need to drive nearly 200 kilometers around Pangong Lake to reach their base at Rutog. Their journey will now be reduced to around 150 km. Damien Simon, a GEOINT researcher at Intel Lab, says heavy machinery (cranes) has also been employed to assist in the manufacturing process. It is working even in bad weather and snow. A track connecting a road network with a bridge has been spotted near the northern bank of Pangong, he said. Adding to this part of the answer.
