China’s infrastructure build-up near Ladakh alarming: Top US General

NEW DELHI: A top US General on Wednesday said some of the defence infrastructure that is being created by China near its border with India in Ladakh is “alarming”, calling the Chinese activity in that region as “eye-opening”.

Flagging concerns over the Chinese infra build-up, the US Army’s Pacific Commanding General Charles A Flynn, who is on a visit to India, also said the “destabilising and corrosive” behaviour of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the Indo-Pacific region is simply not helpful. “I think it is worthy of us working together as a counterweight to some of those corrosive and corruptive behaviours that the Chinese do,” he told reporters here.

The Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a tense border standoff in eastern Ladakh since May 5, 2020, when a violent clash between the two sides erupted in the Pangong lake area. Last month, it emerged that China is constructing a second bridge in an area held by it around the strategically key Pangong Tso lake in eastern Ladakh and this could help its military to quickly mobilise its troops in the region.

China has also been establishing other infrastructure such as roads and residential units in the border areas with India. It also has maritime border disputes with various countries in the Indo-Pacific region such as Vietnam and Japan. “I believe that the activity level is eye-opening and I think some of the infrastructure that is being created in the (Chinese Army’s) western theatre command is alarming.” Flynn said.

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