As protest brews over China's "standard map" that lays claim over Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin, satellite images have shown that Beijing is building tunnels and reinforced bunkers for soldiers and weaponry in Aksai Chin.
The area where China is scaling up construction is located about 70km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC). India has long claimed rights over the territory but it is held by China, according to satellite images accessed by Hindustan Times.
The constructions seem to have started post 2021. The satellite images by Maxar Technologies seemed to show personnel bunkers designed to protect soldiers from aerial attacks. Earth-moving machinery, new roads and multiple entrances for the tunnels are also visible in the images.
"Analysts believe the underground facilities are meant to protect sensitive equipment, ammunition and command posts from air or missile strikes during potential hostilities," added the Hindustan Times report.
This comes as India registered a strong protest against China's 2023 edition of its "standard map" that claimed Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai China as its territory. The "map" also incorporated China’s claims over the estranged island of Taiwan and the nine-dash line claiming a large part of the South China Sea.
Meanwhile, Tibetan Parliament-in-exile MPs have hit out at China's expansionist policy, stating that the country "can never be trusted."
Dawa Tsering MP said China is nobody's friend. "China always says that it wants friendship with you but China’s malice is concealed behind its sweet talk. Never trust Chna and its leaders, because they can never be anybody’s friends," Tsering told ANI. "All South Asian countries to stand against the Chinese expansionist policy. It has to be condemned."
Another Tibetan MP in exile, Yeshi Dolma too called China's act "provocative". She said that China wants to provoke India ahead of the G20 Summit next month. "China illegally invaded Tibet in 1959, and now it is trying to encroach the border of neighbouring country India," Dolma told ANI.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar rejected China's "standard map" on Tuesday, stating that Beijing had even put out such maps in the past claiming territories that are not theirs and that it is "an old habit" of China.
"China has even in the past put out maps which claimed the territories which are not China's, which belong to other countries. This is an old habit of theirs," Jaishankar said. He made the comments while replying to a question on the 'map' at an event hosted by the NDTV.
"It is not something which is new. It started in the 1950s. So just by putting out a map claiming territories some of which are part of India.. I think this doesn't change (anything). These are very much part of India," he said.
"We are very clear what our territories are. This government is very clear about what we need to do to defend our territory. You can see that on our borders. I think there should be no doubt about that," Jaishankar said.
"Just making absurd claims does not make other people's territories yours. Let's be very clear on that," he added.