New Delhi: China’s construction of a new road, as part of an infrastructure push over the past year, allowed its troops to surge upwards to Indian positions during the clash at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh earlier this month, a new study by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) claims.
The ASPI’s International Cyber Policy Centre (ICPC) analysed the latest satellite imagery related to the area of the clash on December 9, which left several soldiers injured on both sides. The Indian defence minister told parliament that China had “tried to transgress the LAC in the Yangtse area of Tawang Sector and unilaterally change the status quo” on December 9. The Chinese side accused India of transgression, but did not mention any scuffle or injuries.
Since the clash, the matter has been raised repeatedly in the Indian parliament by the opposition, but so far, the government has refused to divulge any more details or answer further questions on the state of the India-China border.
According to the analysis by ASPI-ICPC released on Tuesday, the Chinese troops surged through a new road built over the last year.
“While China’s positions are lower on the plateau, it has invested more heavily than the Indian military in infrastructure and building new roads over the past year,” said the report.
During this period, China upgraded and constructed several roads in that area. This includes a sealed road from Tangwu New Village to within 150 metres of the ridgeline of the Line of Actual Control. There is also a small PLA camp at the end of the road.
As per the ASPI report, this sealed road enhances China’s ability to send troops directly to the LAC. “It was the construction of this new road that enabled Chinese troops to surge upwards to Indian positions during the 9 December skirmish.”
India controls the heights along the LAC ridgeline, but the access roads are mainly steep dirt tracks.
“Satellite imagery shows that these (Indian) roads are already suffering from erosion and landslides due to their steep grade, environmental conditions and relatively poor construction, and in open conflict, attacks on these dirt tracks would easily leave frontline positions cut off from resupply,” analysed ASPI.
The Australian think-tank argued that China has compensated for its tactical disadvantage in the area with its ability to deploy land forces rapidly.
“In small skirmishes, such as the recent clashes on 9 December, the PLA remains at a disadvantage because more Indian troops are situated on the commending ridgeline that makes up the LAC. But in a more significant conflict, the durable transport infrastructure and the associated surge capability that the PLA has developed could prove decisive, especially in contrast to the less reliable access roads that Indian troops would be required to use”.
It noted that China’s investment in supply infrastructure means it can have more troops than India on the Yangtse plateau at Tangwu New Village, “where significant construction has taken place over the past year”.
At the same time, India has only one forward base on the plateau, while larger bases are in the valley below. “However, it is important to note that India currently has a more comprehensive network of outposts along the LAC,” the report said.
India has six frontline posts along the plateau, supplied by a forward base around 1.5 kilometres from the LAC.
India has “resurfaced” many roads on the Indian side of the plateau and constructed new dirt tracks in the last year, but as per the ASPI report, the Chinese seem to have moved faster by building a sealed road.
In October last year, the Indian government reportedly began efforts to boost connectivity and use of high-tech surveillance along the nearly 1,350-km LAC in the Arunachal Pradesh sector to ensure “quick mobilisation of troops and heavy weaponry”. As part of the plan, around 20 bridges, a number of tunnels, airbases and several key roads were being developed in strategically key areas to bolster the overall military preparedness, officials said.
The Indian government had said in April that it had increased allocation by six times for border infrastructure and management schemes in Arunachal Pradesh in 2021-22.
In September, The Hindu reported, along with other Indian media outlets, that since the start of the ongoing stand-off at eastern Ladakh in May 2020, the Indian army was on a “major drive for capability and infrastructure development” in Arunachal Pradesh.
Following the December 9 clash, there had been statements from Indian defence infrastructure agencies released to news agencies that work had taken place in border areas.
Meanwhile, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said that the deployment of Indian troops along the Chinese border has been higher than ever. “It is done in order to counter Chinese deployment which has been scaled up massively since 2020,” he said at a conclave.