China building bridge on illegally occupied land, Centre tells Parliament

The Centre on Friday (February 4) told Parliament that China is constructing a bridge across the Pangong Lake in Eastern Ladakh in an illegally occupied area.

Satellite images show the bridge is more than 400 metres long already and is likely to be completed in a few months despite inclement weather. What is more worrying for India is that China has taken up several road works in the nearby mountains which will all eventually lead to the bridge. The 8 metre wide bridge is located south of a Chinese base on the North Bank of Pangong, a place where Chinese troops had set up accommodations for troops besides medical facilities during the 2020 standoff.

On completion, the bridge will give India’s eastern neighbour a strong advantage in an area which has been on the boil for most of 2020 till February last year when the two countries finally decided to withdraw battle-ready troops.

The two sides have been face to face in this area of eastern Ladakh since June 2020, but the tension grew manifold after the violent clash between Indian Army men and the Chinese PLA soldiers in the Galwan valley river area in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed and, as per unofficial numbers, 38 Chinese PLA personnel lost their lives. Since then more than 50,000 troops on both sides of the border are guarding the LAC from Depsang plains to the Demchok area.

Also read: China changing rules of engagement with India on disputed border

India looks at the construction as China’s renewed effort at disturbing peace in the region which showed signs of normalcy in early 2021 after months of tensions in the Ladakh region.

The two sides have been holding discussions over the disengagement process since then. The government told Parliament that India expects other countries, especially its neighbours, to respect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. “Our approach in these talks has been and will continue to be guided by three key principles, that, (i) both sides should strictly respect and observe the LAC; (ii) neither side should attempt to alter the status quo unilaterally; and (iii) all agreements between the two sides must be fully abided by in their entirety,” the government stated in the House.

Also read: Not four, but 38 Chinese soldiers died in Galwan clash, claims report

The Indian and Chinese commanders met at Chushul-Moldo in Eastern Ladakh for the 14th round of military discussions in the mid of January. A total of 14 rounds of talks have been held so far since the tensions between the two nations in 2020. The talks failed once again, but the two sides agreed to keep communication lines open. India has been insisting on resolving the differences over Hot Springs friction point, which became evident during the Ladakh aggression in 2020.