New Delhi: A US report has revealed that China has deployed a large number of troops, special forces, and combined arms brigades along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India, and has also built new roads, bridges, warehouses, and airstrips in the disputed areas. The report, prepared by the US Defense Department and presented to the US Congress, said that China’s military posture and activities on the LAC have increased significantly since the violent clash with India in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh in 2020.
The report, titled “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2023“, said that China has deployed a border regiment in the western sector of LAC, which covers Ladakh. To support this regiment, two contingents of Xinjiang and Tibet Military Districts have also been deployed. In addition, four Combined Arms Brigades (CABs), which are equipped with artillery, infantry, and armored vehicles, are also in reserve.
The report also said that China has deployed its Special Operation Force (SOF) from the Tibet Military Region in the Galwan Valley after the clash with India in 2020. The SOF is a highly trained and specialized unit that can conduct unconventional warfare, counter-terrorism, and intelligence operations. However, the report noted that the SOF does not have much combat experience.
In the eastern sector of LAC, which covers Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, China has deployed at least three light and medium-range combined arms brigades, according to the report. In the central sector of LAC, which covers Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, China has deployed three additional CABs.
The report also highlighted China’s rapid infrastructure development and storage facilities along the LAC. It said that China has built a huge warehouse near Doklam, where it had a standoff with India in 2017. It has also built new roads in all three sectors of LAC, including a new bridge on Pangong Lake. It is also preparing to build an airport and helipad near Pangong Lake.
The report said that China’s military activities on the LAC are driven by its strategic objectives of securing its borders, asserting its territorial claims, deterring India’s conventional superiority, and enhancing its influence in the region.
The report came at a time when both India and China are engaged in talks to resolve the border dispute and restore peace and stability along the LAC. However, the talks have not yielded any significant results so far and the situation remains tense and volatile. Both sides have also made preparations for the winter season by deploying troops, weapons, and equipment in the high-altitude areas.
