NEW DELHI -- Indian defense officials have alleged that the Chinese military has erected several structures within the Indian-controlled side of the Kashmir region which straddles the disputed border between the two nations.
Images taken by a private U.S. satellite operator on July 29 show red and blue structures near a road on the northern bank of Pangong Lake, the world's highest saltwater lake. The magazine India Today reported there are 12 white structures that are prefabricated huts in which Chinese soldiers are lodged. About 10 blue Chinese military boats apparently were moored near a jetty.
The Indian and Chinese militaries have over the years frequently clashed in the Kashmir region, where the border between these nations is poorly demarcated. In June, 20 Indian soldiers died during a clash with Chinese troops. In July, both militaries agreed to establish a buffer zone near the lake and elsewhere, and to prohibit military forces from entering these areas. According to a senior official of India's Defense Ministry, the Chinese military had not withdrawn from the area near the lake as of Wednesday. The official said China "is violating the agreement."
Senior officials at the ministry said that since May the Chinese military had pushed about eight kilometers into Indian-controlled territory near Pangong Lake and set up tents on a ridge overlooking the area. Since about November, the Chinese military also has taken up a position in an elevated area of Indian-controlled territory near the Galwan Valley, about 130 kilometers from the lake. Even after both sides agreed to pull back following the deadly June clash, there is no sign of the Chinese military withdrawing.
Part of the area the Chinese military entered reportedly offers a line of sight over a key road "that connects to a temporary airstrip on the Indian side." The Indian military is concerned that the Chinese military could be monitoring their movements.
The Chinese government is stepping up its military operations around the Kashmir region.
China's National Defense Ministry has announced that the People's Liberation Army Tibet Military Command, which controls the border, recently conducted live-fire exercises at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters. Based on a satellite image analysis carried by India Today, since June, the PLA Air Force has stationed several H-6 bombers at an airport in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region about 690 kilometers from Pangong Lake, and appears to be strengthening its attack posture.
Bonji Ohara, a senior fellow at the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, said Chinese military movements in the Kashmir region "are in the same context as those regarding Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Senkaku Islands and the islands in the South China Sea. China has a major goal of completing the unification of all its claimed territories. The military, which is in charge of achieving this, is moving toward this goal."
Ohara also suggested the India-China border dispute might drag on for a long time. "Given that China insists the region is its own territory, it can't return this land to India. This will inevitably become a protracted issue," Ohara said.
India is tightening its guard against this series of Chinese movements. According to Bloomberg News, India has decided to position an additional 35,000 troops along its border with China. New Delhi has deployed state-of-the-art fighter jets and helicopters to bases close enough to allow them to respond to contingencies in the region.
Anti-China sentiment has grown stronger among the Indian public since the June military clash. India's government has also banned the TikTok app operated by a Chinese firm.
Pakistan also claims sovereignty over the Kashmir region. India and Pakistan have often exchanged fire across the Line of Control that separates the two nations.
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