China has built a village in Arunachal Pradesh: Reports

ITANAGAR: Amid the ongoing standoff in Ladakh, China has built a new village comprising 101 homes in Arunachal Pradesh around 4.5 kms within Indian territory, according to a report by NDTV which has accessed satellite images supporting this claim.

The settlements are situated on the banks of Tsari Chu river in the Upper Subansiri district, which has been a disputed area between the two neighbours, the report said.

According to the report, the latest image from November 1, 2020 shows the village while an image from August 26, 2019 did not show any such settlement, which indicative of that it was constructed within the one-year window.

Confirming credibility of the said image, the report said that India’s foreign ministry did not challenge it but said China has undertaken such construction activities in the past several years. It said the government has also stepped up improving the border infrastructure.

Tapir Gao, BJP MP from Arunachal Pradesh, had in November reportedly warned the Lok Sabha of Chinese incursions in the state. The report quoted him as saying on Monday that the constructions included a double-lane road, and that they have entered over 60-70 kms inside the district. The Chinese are also building a road along Lensi river, he said.

The government responded to NDTV saying that it is continuously monitoring developments that affect India’s security and takes all “necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The village lies south of the McMahon Line, the report quoted Claude Arpi, an expert in India-China relations, as saying. The McMahon Line demarcates between Tibet and India’s Northeast, which is disputed by China. Arpi said the construction looks like violation of a key part of agreements between the two countries.

It quoted another leading military analyst, Sim Tack, as saying that the image shows the Chinese construction of a residential area is within India’s claimed border.