New Delhi: China is strengthening its military positions by building additional infrastructure to house men and equipment, less than 80 kilometres northeast of Yangtse in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector, latest satellite imagery has shown.
Sources in the defence establishment said the “massive scale” of construction is close to a new civil airport that China constructed, which also has a surface-to-air missile site.
Satellite Imagery analyst Damien Symon, who is popular by his twitter handle @detresfa_ posted an image which showed large military deployment by the Chinese Army (PLA).
“A large PLA deployment has been set up 74 Km North North East of the region where India & China recently clashed (Tawang), this camp is also very close to the new airport in Lhunze,” he tweeted.
A large PLA deployment has been set up 74 Km North North East of the region where India & China recently clashed (Tawang), this camp is also very close to the new airport in Lhunze pic.twitter.com/adKqtwIqIH
— Damien Symon (@detresfa_) January 5, 2023
He showed images from November to highlight the quick scale of construction being carried out by the PLA.
Sources, who accessed another set of pictures, told ThePrint that the Chinese were building shelters for both men and equipment besides a large-scale training area.
The location is near the new airport in Khunze which is of dual use — the airport is a civilian infrastructure, and can be used for military operations.
Sources said the airport cannot be used for fighter operations as of now but only for logistics.
They added the construction of the airport had begun in 2021.
Asked about the significance of the new Chinese construction activity, sources said it could not be seen in context of the Tawang clash in December.
However, they said Chinese aggression in Tawang is a reflection of them trying to flex their muscles and this involved deployment of men and equipment closer to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – to signal a psychological intent against Indians and also to beef up positions and get soldiers battle ready.
Sources told ThePrint earlier that LAC tensions have given China the opportunity to train its soldiers in almost real-war scenarios.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has himself said that his military suffers from “peace disease”, which is basically the lack of combat experience.
Incidentally, Chinese soldiers are facing increasing “nervousness, anxiety and fearful emotions” as they undertake unprecedented military activities amid tensions with India along the LAC and with the US over South China Sea and Taiwan.
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