China Steps Up Road Construction at Border Hotspot Doklam: Report

This has been done to ensure that road access into the Doklam plateau is unrestricted through the winter months.

The Doklam Standoff between India and China ended on 28 August.  

(Photo: The Quint)

China appears to have stepped up its road construction activity in the Doklam plateau to ensure smooth access in the region across the year, NDTV reports. This is the same place where India and China were involved in a nearly 70-day stand-off in 2017, according to the report.

According to a satellite image from October accessed by NDTV, the length of the 'tunnel' has been extended to 500 metres on this stretch.

This has been done to ensure that road access into the Doklam plateau remains unrestricted during the winter months. The Doklam plateau is entirely snowed under during the winter months making access a challenge, Army experts told NDTV.

Beijing and Bhutan have both claimed the Doklam plateau as their own territory.

According to NDTV, way back in 2017, Indian soldiers had crossed the Sikkim border to block the construction of a Chinese road, a thin strip that links India to the north-east.

The stand-off had continued for more than 70 days.

The same track has now been converted into a fully tarred road. India has also been actively perusing road construction to ensure that its forces are reinforced in that area.

Despite India and Beijing’s in-depth and constructive exchange of views on disengagement, there has been no conclusive outcome and the stand-off seems to continue through the winter months.

(With inputs from NDTV.)