China-India border: building boom in the Himalayas as Beijing shores up troops and weapons for winter

Name: India boosts military presence as border talks with China remain stalled
Uploaded: 2021-11-30T02:00:34.000Z
Duration: 1 min 41 s
Description: India boosts military presence as border talks with China remain stalled

Social media images show structures designed for military assets of strategic value, such as a command centre, hangars or missile storage, say experts

In aftermath of 2017 Doklam stand-off, strategic observation posts with windproof underground bunkers were more common along the border, says CCTV

Reading Time:2 minutes

Why you can trust SCMP

The PLA has been building underground facilities along its borders with India in the Himalayas. Photo: Handout

Minnie Chan

Published: 10:00am, 30 Nov 2021

China has built underground shelters along its borders with India in the Himalayas to protect its troops and weapons as tensions between the two countries persist into the harsh winter.

The People’s Liberation Army Western Theatre Command, which oversees the border areas with India, has sped up construction of below-ground facilities to preserve most of its strategic bases and barracks, according to Chinese state media and a military observer.

Posts appeared on Chinese social media showing the subterranean structures and quoted experts at a recent impact dynamics seminar organised by State Key Laboratory of Explosion Science and Technology in Beijing as saying they were designed for military assets of strategic value, such as an underground command centre, hangars or missile storage.

01:41

India boosts military presence as border talks with China remain stalled

Zhou Chenming, a researcher from the Yuan Wang military science and technology think tank, said building the underground projects along the China-India border was intended to provide a safe living and working environment for PLA troops stationed in the remote region.

“Those underground barracks were built at the front line over 5,000 metres [16,000 feet] above sea level as defensive lines to prevent any raids from the Indian side,” Zhou said.

“Those bunkers could be used as barracks and ammunition storage, while soldiers stationed at the second defence line all live in thermal insulation composites with comprehensive domestic installations, such as greenhouses and hot water.”

Zhou said the PLA had built underground facilities as safe shelter for frontline troops since China fought in the Korean war (1951-1953), although modern technology and earthmoving machinery had improved construction.