DOKLAM : China Expands Road In Doklam

SOURCE:
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/just-10-km-from-last-doklam-stand-off-china-works-on-a-road-again-1759103






     [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2e8HzoKA0ds ]

[  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V54OnSWg-1k ]

With 500 Soldiers On Guard, China Expands                                 Road In Doklam

                                          BY

                                 Aby Vishnu Som 

HIGHLIGHTS

1. 
   
2. China starts expandig road in disputed Doklam Plateau
3. 500 soldiers accompanying construction workers
4. New construction in same area that India holds highly sensitive

Thwarted in its last attempt, China has now shifted its 

unused road construction material North and East of 

the Doklam face-off site.

October 05, 2017 23:21 IST

[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PfzsJWDfuw ]

Barely a month after the winding down of an aggressive 

stand-off with India at the Sikkim border, the Chinese 

Army is back to building a road on the Doklam Plateau, 

just 10 km from the location of the last conflict. The 

Doklam Plateau is claimed by both Beijing and Bhutan 

as their territory. India backs Bhutan's claim.

China starts expanding road in disputed Doklam 

Plateau

In mid-June, Indian soldiers crossed the Sikkim border 

to stop the construction of a Chinese road near the 

"Chicken's Neck", a thin strip that links India to its 

northeastern states. After nearly 70 days of soldiers from

 both sides staring down at each other just 150 metres 

apart, the conflict, described as the worst in decades, 

subsided with both countries accepting that they were 

withdrawing their troops, though details were sketchy.

China pulled back its bulldozers and other road-making 

equipment, said officials in Delhi at the time. Chinese 

officers said the weather would be among the factors 

that would determine its plans for construction.

Now, barely 10 kilometres from the location of the stand-

off, China is expanding an existing track, reinforcing its 

claim to the disputed and remote Doklam Plateau. India 

backs Bhutan's claim to the region and has made it clear

 that it will not tolerate any infrastructure that would 

allow China access to the Chicken's Neck, located just 

south of Doklam.

Thwarted in its last attempt, China has now shifted its 

unused road construction material North and East of the

 face-off site. Road construction workers brought into 

the area are accompanied by upto 500 soldiers though 

there are no indicators that these soldiers will be 

permanently based in the area - the Chinese town of 

Yatung, which is less than 20 km away as the crow flies, 

is a few hours by road and accommodates them. Neither

 are there signs of permanent structures to 

accommodate Chinese soldiers in the area which is 

snow-bound and bitterly cold in the winter. 

Army officers NDTV has spoken to believe that the new 

road construction is meant to be a strong signal of 

Beijing's intent to prove its territorial claims. A month 

ago, Army Chief Bipin Rawat had warned, "As far as the

 Northern adversary is concerned, flexing of muscles 

has started. Salami slicing, taking over territory in a very 

gradual manner, testing our limits or threshold is 

something we have to be wary about. Remain prepared 

for situations that are emerging gradually into conflict." 

Construction in the same area that India holds highly 

sensitive

It is likely that the Army Chief was referring to these 

renewed Chinese efforts despite the de-escalation of the

 Doklam crisis which paved the way for the Prime 

Minister to travel to Xiamen for the BRICS summit last 

month.

Sources have told NDTV that fresh Chinese road 

construction activity in the area began shortly after 

India and China chose to deescalate tensions on August 

28. On August 18, the Indian Army, which dominates the 

area, moved into the Doklam Plateau from their base at 

the nearby Doka La (pass) and physically prevented the

 Chinese from stretching the track. China's goal had 

been to extend the track south across the Torso Nallah 

to the Jhamperi Ridge, a dominant feature in the area 

where the Bhutanese Army has a base.