Four years after the Pangong Lake conflict, recent satellite images capture a scene that is enough to dissuade India from any further ambitions over Pangong Lake.
The latest satellite images show that the bridge China is building at the narrowest part of the middle of Pangong Lake has been completed. Comparing two images taken about half a month apart, the bridge’s surface color has changed, indicating that Chinese construction workers might be paving it with asphalt. This suggests that the bridge construction is in its final stages and may already be in use.
With the completion and operation of this bridge, the military situation around Pangong Lake will also change.
Currently, China controls approximately two-thirds of the eastern part of Pangong Lake and the mountainous areas on both the north and south shores. The remaining one-third of the lake and some surrounding mountains are under Indian control.
On the northern shore of Pangong Lake, there are eight mountain peaks, labeled from “Finger 1” to “Finger 8” from west to east. India controls the area from Finger 1 to Finger 4, but New Delhi has always aimed to extend its control to Finger 8, thereby seizing control of approximately one-third of the middle section of Pangong Lake from China. However, Indian military operations on the northern shore have not been successful.
After failing to make progress on the northern shore, the Indian army shifted its strategy to the southern shore. In 2022, Indian troops entered the Shennai Hill area on the southern shore of Pangong Lake, firing warning shots at Chinese patrols during their operation.
Although Chinese forces eventually expelled the Indian troops from this area, the incident highlighted a logistical issue: the difficulty of moving Chinese troops between the northern and southern shores of Pangong Lake. Land-based maneuvers require a lengthy detour around the lake, which takes considerable time for deployment adjustments.
Due to the lake’s location, the Chinese “West Sea Fleet” primarily uses small patrol boats for personnel transport across the lake but cannot transport vehicles. If Indian operations occur farther from the lake shore, rapid support becomes challenging.
If the Indian army were to launch coordinated actions from both the north and south, Chinese forces might struggle to respond effectively.
Therefore, since 2021, China has been constructing a bridge at the narrowest part of the middle of Pangong Lake, near Finger 8, to enhance troop mobility between the north and south shores. Once completed, this bridge will reduce the travel time for Chinese forces by eight hours.
Since no official information has been released, details about the bridge’s construction remain unclear. However, it is confirmed that by mid-2022, China had completed a narrower bridge to ensure personnel movement between the shores. There is speculation that China may have actually built two parallel bridges, with the later one being wider to accommodate mechanized equipment, including the Type 15 light tank. Current construction suggests that these two bridges might be integrated, with the latter serving as the main bridge.
Besides this crucial bridge, the construction of a ring road within the Chinese-controlled areas around Pangong Lake is likely complete and connected to the bridge. Chinese base construction on both the north and south shores is also being strengthened.
With these infrastructure projects completed, the Chinese army will further consolidate its strategic advantage around Pangong Lake, preventing future small-scale Indian incursions and ensuring timely troop and material transport in wartime.
The completion of the Pangong Lake bridge is just one example of China’s ongoing infrastructure improvements along the China-India border. In other regions, border roads, bridges, military bases, and bunkers are also being rapidly built.
During the border clash in late 2022 in the eastern sector, Chinese troops relied on border roads to swiftly respond and block the intruding Indian forces.
It should be noted that China’s infrastructure development along the China-India border includes not only roads and bridges but also railways and airports in the hinterland. China’s goal is to use infrastructure upgrades to drive economic development while laying the groundwork for quicker troop and material transport to the border in the future.
Many transportation facilities in Tibet and Xinjiang have significant military attributes. For instance, the Ali Kunsha Airport and other 4C standard dual-use airports can serve as front-line military airports during wartime.
In land transportation, most roads connecting border areas have been completed, and China is accelerating the construction of its railway network, including the Xinjiang-Tibet Railway and the Sichuan-Tibet Railway. The Xinjiang-Tibet Railway is particularly crucial as its completion will further enhance China’s strategic control over Aksai Chin.
India is also accelerating infrastructure construction in border areas, but the overall disparity in comprehensive national strength between China and India means that India is unlikely to gain an advantage in this infrastructure race.
Once the planned transportation network is fully completed, China will be able to resolve longstanding logistical challenges for its troops, ensuring the capability to handle potential high-intensity military conflicts along the China-India border and truly possessing the ability to fight large-scale wars. By then, the situation along the China-India border will undergo dramatic changes.
