Chinese villages on border Issue – UPSC GS2

Context:
  • China has been undertaking development of border villages and resettling new residents along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that separates India and China.
Chinese Plan:
  • China is developing villages as “first line and second line villages” along with China’s border with India, Bhutan and Nepal.
  • In some areas, small hamlets, with one or two herding households are being expanded into larger permanent settlements.
  • China has been building necessary supportive infrastructure to support the increasing population in these border areas. This includes new houses as well as a hydropower generator and transmission infrastructure that connects the villages to the national grid.
Concerns:
  • Disputed borders: Some of the settlements China builds on the border are in disputed territories. Ex.:
    • Pangda village 2-3 km into what Bhutan sees as its land.
    • Yumai village 4-5 km into what India sees as its territory in Arunachal Pradesh.
  • Chinese unilateralism:
    • This seems to be a deliberate policy of the Chinese state to use these settlements as guardians of Chinese territory and boost their national security.
    • These civilian settlements would allow China to solidify its territorial claims and effectively settle the dispute unilaterally.

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