After the withdrawal of both Chinese and Indian troops from Pangong Tso, the Indian media began to focus on the deployment of Chinese troops in the defensive zone of Tianwendian, a key Chinese border post in the Depsang Basin, just 20 kilometers from the Indian army’s Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) airfield.
India’s Daulat Beg Oldie airstrip was reopened in 2008 and is a frontline point for the Indian army, as it is built for large-scale troop and weapons delivery, with large transport aircraft such as C-130s taking off and landing all year round. The terrain there is flat and not separated by natural barriers, making it convenient for the operation of mechanized forces, plus it’s far from the rear of the Indian army, making it a weakness of India, according to military analyst Tianshuihai Tingfeng.
Previously the Indian side had indicated that they wanted to negotiate with China on the standoff at Tianwendian, Hot Springs and Kongka, but so far it looks like China hasn’t responded much. And the Indian Army Chief of Staff Manoj Mukund Naravane said the Indian Army has a “tactic” to resolve the standoff in the Tianwendian area.
According to the analysis, the so-called “tactic” of the Indian army is likely to be the same as the sneak attack that happened in August last year on the south shore of Pangong Tso, i.e., to make trouble in some weak places under Chinese control, such as Chepzi, and then use it as a leverage to make Chinese troops withdraw from the Tianwendian post.
Satellite images show that China has strengthened its military deployment at Tianwendian post, with the addition of new buildings, solar panels, and antenna tower, among other facilities since August 2020:
