Responding to media reports that China had constructed a new village within Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh, the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday said that India was aware of the developments and was ‘keeping a constant watch’. The statement, while not denying any such activity, did not directly respond to the reported encroachment by China along India’s northern borders.
“We have seen recent reports on China undertaking construction work along the border areas with India. China has undertaken such infrastructure construction activity in the past several years… In response, our government too has stepped up border infrastructure, including the construction of roads, bridges etc, which has provided much-needed connectivity to the local population along the border,” the Ministry of External Affairs said responding to reports, according to new agency ANI.
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According to news channel NDTV.com, China has constructed a new village in Arunachal Pradesh, consisting of about 101 homes. Referring to satellite images, procured from Planet Labs Inc, the report adds that the pictures, dated November 1, 2020, had been analysed by several experts, who confirmed the construction, approximately 4.5 kms within Indian territory.
August 26, 2019 images from the same area did not show any construction activity. So, the village was set up in the last year, the report added. The village, located on the banks of the River Tsari Chu, lies in the Upper Subansiri district, an area which has been long disputed by India and China.
Google Earth images also indicate that the village lies south of the McMahon Line, the demarcation between Tibet and India’s Northeast. This line is disputed by China. Earlier, last year Chinese and Indian troops engaged in violent border clashes in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, in which 20 Indian soldiers were martyred.
