China steps up construction along disputed Bhutan border, satellite images show -Breaking
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Devjyot Ghoshal & Anand Katakam
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – China is accelerating settlement building along its disputed border to Bhutan. According to satellite imagery analysis for Reuters, there are more than 200 structures under construction, including six two-storey buildings.
The U.S. data analysis firm HawkEye 360 provided Reuters with images and analysis. It uses satellites to collect intelligence about ground-level activities. Two other experts vetted the information and gave Reuters a complete look at China’s constructions in its border area with Bhutan.
Graphic: China-Bhutan border map – https://graphics.reuters.com/CHINA-BHUTAN/BORDER/zdvxoqabgpx/China-Bhutan.jpg
According to Chris Biggers (mission applications director, HawkEye 360), construction activity has taken place in certain locations near Bhutan’s west border since the beginning of 2020. China started by building tracks and clearing areas based on satellite imagery firm Capella Space, Planet Labs and Planet Labs.
Photos show how the construction was done faster in 2021. Biggers explained that small structures were constructed to hold equipment and supplies. Next came foundations and the building of buildings.
Biggers stated, “For me, 2021 was the time for acceleration.”
Capella Space also analyzed the location of the construction, and recently acquired satellite images from Capella Space. They concluded that all six settlements are located in territories disputed by China or Bhutan. This includes a 110-kilometre-long tract. There is little to no native population.
In response to Reuters questions, Bhutan’s foreign ministry stated that “It’s Bhutan’s policy to not talk about border issues in the public.” The ministry did not respond to further questions.
Experts and an Indian defence source said that the structure suggests China’s determination to settle its border claims.
China’s foreign ministry stated the purpose of construction was “entirely to improve the living and working conditions” of local residents.
The ministry stated that China has the right to conduct normal building activities on its territory. The ministry refused to provide further information.
Graphic: China-Bhutan border construction – https://graphics.reuters.com/CHINA-BHUTAN/BORDER/gkplgbjoavb/China-Bhutan-1.jpg
Two experts agree that the villages offer Beijing strategic value. It is located 9-27km away from Doklam, the intersection of India’s borders with Bhutan and China. This area was where Indian and Chinese soldiers were held hostage for over two months in 2017.
One expert claims that China could use the settlements for security-oriented installations and to improve its control over remote areas.
The Indian foreign ministry didn’t respond to our request for comment.
Bhutan is a small country with less than 800,000. It has been in negotiations for nearly four decades with Beijing to resolve their border of 477 km. Bhutan’s concern isn’t just about territorial integrity but concerns over security for India who is India’s principal ally and economic partner.
Bhutan’s foreign ministry stated that China and Bhutan had reached an agreement during their latest round of boundary talks in April 2021, to accelerate the process of resolving differences. However, it declined to disclose the specifics of its plan.
According to the ministry, “All matters are dealt with between Bhutanese and Chinese within the Boundary Talks.”
Robert Barnett of SOAS University, London is a researcher on Tibet who has been closely studying the China-Bhutan border.
BORDER VILLAGES
According to Barnett, M. Taylor Fravel (director of Security Studies Program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology), the settlements were part of a Beijing-made 2017 plan to create more than 600 villages near the Tibet Autonomous Region’s border. This region lies on the Chinese side of a disputed border.
Fravel stated that the construction was a sign China wanted to strengthen its control over border regions and build infrastructure.
Six years after Dalai Lama left Tibet following a failed rebellion against Chinese rule, the Chinese-controlled TAR was founded in 1965.
Some villages located close to the border were built in areas where there was no prior construction. Barnett explained that China gives subsidies to residents who want to set up residence there.
He said that all the villages located in the west Bhutan sector’s cross-border area are in places where there is no natural village. These areas are not habitable.
Graphic: China-Bhutan border construction – https://graphics.reuters.com/CHINA-BHUTAN/BORDER/znvneljropl/China-Bhutan-2.jpg
CHICKEN’S NECK
China could have greater control over Doklam’s plateau, which would give it more access to “Chicken’s Neck”, an area that links India and its northeastern regions.
India and China share a 3,500km unresolved border. The border disputes in Ladakh between India and China remain unresolved. They are located about 1100km apart from Doklam. It is where troops from each country clashed with one another in hand-to–hand combat in 2020.
According to an Indian defense source, India closely monitors Chinese construction along its border. The source declined to name the source due the sensitive nature of the issue.
Graphic: China-Bhutan Border – https://graphics.reuters.com/CHINA-BHUTAN/BORDER/zgvomajggvd/China-Bhutan-3.jpg
Biggers claimed that the satellite imagery indicates that India and Bhutan are not responding on ground to China’s construction activities.
Nathan Ruser, an Australian Strategic Policy Institute researcher, said it would prove difficult for India or Bhutan to stop the Chinese building.
Ruser explained that “any action against these Chinese infrastructures would undoubtedly put civilian populations in danger.” It limits India’s and Bhutan’s ability to fight Chinese invasion into the disputed territory.
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