Kupwara:
China has been steadily increasing defense cooperation with Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir for the past three years, including the construction of iron-clad bunkers and the deployment of unmanned aerial combat vehicles. Apart from this, China is also helping in installing highly confidential communication towers and laying underground fiber cables along the LoC.
At the same time, advanced radar systems of Chinese origin, such as ‘JY’ and ‘HGR’, have been deployed to enhance the ability to detect targets at medium and low altitudes, thereby providing vital intelligence support to the army and air defense units.
Apart from this, the presence of 155 mm howitzer gun SH-15 made by a Chinese company has also been observed at various locations along the LoC. The move is being seen as China’s efforts to strengthen ties with Pakistan and secure its investment in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, particularly the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
China is deploying bunkers on LoC
Officials said there was no presence of senior Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) officials at the forward posts as in 2014, but some indications suggested that Chinese soldiers and engineers were building infrastructure along the LoC, including building underground bunkers.
Chinese experts are engaged in tunnel construction in the Lipa Valley of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), suggesting the construction of an all-weather road connecting the Karakoram Highway, officials said.
What is China’s purpose?
The strategic move is linked to China’s ambitious $46 billion CPEC project, which aims to establish a direct route between Pakistan’s Gwadar port and China’s Xinjiang province through the Karakoram Highway to China’s illegally occupied territory.
In 2007, a Chinese telecom company acquired a Pakistani telecom company and formed China Mobile Pakistan (CMPAC) – a 100 percent owned subsidiary of China Mobile Communications Corporation.
In August 2022, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) renewed the CMPAC (ZONG) mobile license for PoK, allowing it to extend Next Generation Mobile Services (NGMS) to the region.
India is ready to face the potential threat
Although the Indian Army has maintained silence on the matter, intelligence agencies are being briefed about the developments. The continued presence of Chinese military personnel in the region has raised concerns, and India has objected to Chinese activities in the Gilgit and Baltistan regions in the past. Officials said that despite the ongoing tension, India is alert and ready to deal with any potential threat from across the border.