It is no secret that China has built hundreds of model villages along the Indian border. Some of them are located in places that other countries also call their regions. This settlement of ordinary citizens is the eyes and ears of Beijing. China builds its strength on this basis. Delivering essential goods to the border.
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Now, China has built a heliport to bolster security near its border with India, in the Fishtail zone, one of the most disputed areas between India and China.
The American company Planet Labs recently took satellite photos. There is a 600-meter runway near the Fishtail area of Arunachal Pradesh. Many hangars were seen. China is building a new heliport here. This is meant to be an airport for attack and reconnaissance helicopters.
In December 2023, there was no construction at the site. But when India Today checked the open-source satellite imagery of Sentinel Hub, it was found that by September 16, 2024, an advanced level of construction had been completed here. Construction will start on or soon after December 1, 2023. It started construction at full speed from January 2024.
The heliport is being built near the Gongrigabuji River in Zayu County, Nyingchi, Tibet. It is only 20 kilometers away from the Indian border. This is a matter of great concern to India.
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Open source researcher Damien Simon said China would benefit from the port because it would be able to easily transport soldiers to outposts. In addition, it would simplify border patrols.
The Changlam area is known as Fishtail and is located in the eastern corner of Arunachal Pradesh. Most of it is covered with glaciers. Patrolling here from both sides is very complicated. It is relatively rare. And it happens from a distance. But infiltration of Chinese soldiers often happens in this area.
Fishtail-1 is located in Dibang Valley. Fishtail-2 is located in Anjou district. Major General (Dr) Ashok Kumar, Director of Joint War Studies Centre, said that the place is very sensitive. There are many differences between the two countries regarding LAC. They have their own perceptions.
Major General Ashok, who participated in the Kargil War, said that building heliports in these places has two benefits. One is to ensure their own safety and provide help for future struggles. China is transferring Han Chinese population from the interior to settle in these mountainous areas. In this way, the population structure here can be changed.
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External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on September 12 that 75% of all disputes with China have been resolved. But bigger things remain to be resolved. So, the military buildup on the Chinese border is going on. What happened in 2020 is that a lot of agreements of all types were broken. The reasons for that are not clear.
Jaishankar was speaking about the Galwan clash in which 20 Indian soldiers, including a colonel, were martyred. Four Chinese soldiers were also killed. Both sides agreed that there should be no clashes in the remaining areas. The National Security Advisor also spoke about maintaining peace on the border and maintaining respect for the Line of Actual Control.
Major General Ashok Kumar said it is in India’s interest to keep a close eye on such developments. Also develop such infrastructure on the border itself. For this, India can move quickly on the Vibrant Villages program. Arunachal Pradesh is also included in it. The same should be done on other borders with China.
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