Amid ongoing talks between India and China in Ladakh, China has constructed second village near the Arunachal Pradesh border. Satellite images shared by news agency NDTV showed a lusted of over 50 buildings. Reportedly, the village lies less than 100 km east of another village that was constructed by China in January this year.
The development comes just a few days after the Ministry of External Affairs stated that it took note of a Pentagon report that highlighted how China has been actively doing construction activities across border. The statement by the MEA stated that it “India has neither accepted such illegal occupation of our territory nor has it accepted the unjustified Chinese claims.”
Background
In an interesting juxtaposition to its aggressive activities in Galwan Valley, near Pangong Lake in Ladakh, China is also pressing hard with stealthily occupying more and more of Indian territory.
Over the course of the past few decades, China has illegally occupied a sizable chunk of territory that’s tucked away along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh.
This includes Anjaw district which has witnessed deployment of Chinese troops, construction of a bridge and roads by the Chinese. Earlier this year, a staggering revelation was made wherein satellite images showed that China has constructed a village along the Arunachal Pradesh border. A cluster of 101 homes was visible in the Upper Subansiri district.
Meanwhile, new satellite images have shown new construction activities by China along the same disputed region
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The Facts of the Matter
As China continues to assert its dominance in the Indo-Pacific region, new satellite images have emerged with concerning implications. The images display China’s strategy of nibbling away the territory of its neighbours such as Bhutan and India.
According to images, which were first reported exclusively by NDTV, China has built a fresh new village along the Arunachal Pradesh border. The new cluster of over 50 buildings in the Shi Yomi district is six kilometre inside the Indian territory. The region lies between the disputed Line of Actual Control and the International Boundary of India.
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Flag of China Painted on Building Roof
The new village can be seen clearly by satellite images provided by Maxar Technologies and Planet Labs. In the images, dozens of buildings can be seen in the Shi-Yomi district, Arunachal Pradesh. What’s more alarming is the fact that there exists a building which has the flag of China painted on its roof.
According to the exclusive NDTV report, the Army responded by neither refuting nor accepting the recent development. The Army simply said that the coordinates of the region lie north to the LAC. Meanwhile, a Times of India quoted an Indian officer claiming that the army had not witnessed “such construction within our perception of the LAC”.
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How China Uses ‘Different Perception’ To its Advantage?
For the unversed, the LAC is a 3,488 km demarcation line from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh. China often plays to the fact that it has a “differing perception” about the demarcated line. Further, Beijing has also refused to clarify about the matter till now.
Not the First Time China Constructed Village Across Border
Earlier this year, a over 100 home village was found to be constructed on the banks of Tsari Chu in Upper Subansiri district. It was the same region where 5 personnel from Chinese troops were detained in September 2020.
After the revelation, the Ministry of External Affairs gave a carefully worded response in which it acknowledged China’s habit of construction. It also added that the Indian government also has increased its efforts in construction of border infrastructure.
