China India war: Satellite images expose Beijing THREAT as bizarre secret road appears
CHINA has built a road on the eastern side of the disputed Doklam plateau, sparking fears of an all-out conflict with India.
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Satellite images obtained by New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV) revealed the road which expands around 9 kilometres into Bhutanese domain. As well as the road, China had previously built a village more than two kilometres into Bhutanese land.
In 2017 Chinese construction workers tried to enter the Zompelri ridge by setting up a road near the Indian military post at Doklam.
This Indian Army position is set up on the border between Sikkim and Doklam.
Back then, the Indian Army opposed the building of the road, claiming it would allow the Chinese military to see over the “Chicken’s neck” strategic region.
The Chinese military is currently believed to have set up a road near the same key area.
The new road runs along the Torsa river and the border between China and Bhutan.
Speaking to NDTV, strategic affairs expert Dr Brahma Chellaney said: "The Chinese have left untouched the 2017 stand-off site, which is located in one corner of Doklam.
''But, step by step, they have been changing the status quo in the rest of Doklam, including by building permanent structures and roads.
"They have even set up villages on a plateau that was uninhabited until three years ago.''
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Senior producer at China's state news outlet CGTN Shen Shiwei showed imagery of a new Chinese village being set up in the contested region.
Mr Shen touted China’s new settlement, a residential area named Pangda, in a tweet.
He wrote: “Now, we have permanent residents living in the newly established Pangda village.
“It’s along the valley, 35 km south to Yadong country. Here is a map to show the location”.
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The tweet, which also showed four photos of a village and its map, was later deleted.
However, Bhutan has refuted the existence of a Chinese enclave within its borders.
Bhutan’s ambassador to India, Vetsop Namgyel, has told The Hindu that “there is no Chinese village inside Bhutan”.
On Monday, a Chinese expert labelled the contest between China and Bhutan a “minor” dispute.
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They blamed India for the stalled discussions into the tensions in the region.
Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told state-run Chinese newspaper the Global Times: “The border dispute between China and Bhutan is very minor, but it has not been formally demarcated because of India’s obstruction.”
He added: “Indian media hyped the issue to create the illusion that China is encroaching on Bhutanese territory and bullying the small” to sow discord between China and Bhutan.
“However, based on Bhutan’s official response, the country has seen through India’s real intentions, and it values its friendly relations with China”.
