As per reports, an analysis of satellite imagery from the Aksai Chin region, which India has long accused China of occupying illegally, reveals that the Chinese side has escalated the construction of fortified bunkers and subterranean facilities. These developments aim to enhance the protection of military assets against potential aerial or missile attacks.

This escalation in construction occurs concurrently with Beijing's release of the 2023 edition of its "standard map of China," portraying Aksai Chin and Arunachal Pradesh as integral parts of Chinese territory. Issued by China's natural resources ministry on the occasion of the "National Surveying and Mapping Promotion Day," this map asserts China's claims over these areas.

Comparing satellite images from December 2021 to August 2023, provided by Maxar Technologies to Hindustan Times, indicates that China has erected reinforced bunkers and underground installations across approximately 15 square kilometers within Aksai Chin. Situated about 70 kilometers from the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the region had limited construction activity following the standoff's commencement in May 2020, except for some above-ground facilities.

Contrastingly, the recent August 2023 images depict substantial construction efforts, including the presence of earth-moving machinery, new roads, and multiple entrances to underground facilities. Analysts suggest that these subterranean structures likely aim to safeguard sensitive equipment, ammunition, and command posts from potential air or missile strikes during conflict scenarios.

Notably, Indian officials declined to provide commentary for this analysis.

The freshly issued map from China designates Aksai Chin, which was occupied during the 1962 war, and Arunachal Pradesh, claimed by Beijing as south Tibet, as within Chinese borders. The map also encompasses Taiwan, a territory China asserts, and a significant portion of the South China Sea, a location of multiple territorial disputes involving China.

This map release follows China's renaming of 11 locations within Arunachal Pradesh in April, which was perceived as a response to India's hosting of a G20-related event in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh's capital. However, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar dismissed the new Chinese map, labeling it as part of China's "absurd claims." He emphasized India's clarity on the issue and criticized China's practice of issuing maps asserting territories that belong to other countries.

Consequently, India lodged a strong diplomatic protest against the so-called "standard map." India's External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi, expressed rejection of these claims, noting their lack of basis and their potential to complicate the boundary issue's resolution.

Information presented in Parliament reveals that around 38,000 square kilometers of Jammu and Kashmir's Indian territory is under China's occupation. Furthermore, due to the China-Pakistan "Boundary Agreement" of 1963, Pakistan ceded an additional 5,180 square kilometers of Indian territory in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir to China.

Retired Air vice Marshal Anil Golani, serving as the additional director general at the Centre for Air Power Studies, acknowledged China's infrastructure efforts along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). He noted that India is responding with increased efforts to match these developments.

The LAC military standoff, initiated in May 2020 and punctuated by a deadly clash in Galwan Valley, has severely strained India-China relations. Recent talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping aimed to expedite disengagement and de-escalation efforts, but China's subsequent readout did not reference these points.

This border standoff has also cast a shadow on India-China interactions within multilateral forums. Xi's anticipated participation in the G20 Summit has been marred by disagreements over climate change and women-led development initiatives, as well as China's support for Russia's stance on the Ukraine crisis in G20 outcome documents.

Image source: MSN