China feels threatened by India's infra building in Ladakh, says Gilgit activist

Washington, [US] June 19 : A political activist from Gilgit Baltistan has condemned Chinese aggression in Ladakh saying Beijing is feeling threatened by India's infrastructure projects in the Union Territory.
Senge H Sering, the director of Institute of Gilgit Baltistan Studies told ANI, "India is improving its infrastructure and making its access to Karakoram Pass much easier. That means India will be able to access G219 (China National Highway 219) from Galwan Valley, because it is very close to the watershed of the Galwan River. Then you will be able to cut Tibet from Xinjiang, in case India tries to move forward towards East and North. And you will also be able to cut the Eastern route, the second route of CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor)."
Senge was reacting to a violent face-off between Indian and Chinese troops near the Galwan Valley area in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed on June 15.
"The G219 also feeds into the feeder roads and makes China's control over Shaksgam, Agel, Raskam and Shimshal much stronger and superior. So, India makes China's presence in Xinjiang and Tibet very weak by extending its own infrastructure to Karakoram Pass," he added.
"China doesn't want it to happen. So, China is trying to intimidate India and asking to not to move forward and construct infrastructure in Eastern part of Ladakh," said Senge, who is well aware about the geography and strategic importance of the region.
China's economy has been in shambles ever since Covid-19 broke out in its Wuhan city late last year. Experts believe that President Xi Jinping's handling of the pandemic has exposed serious structural cracks in the facade of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
"So, China is attacking India and Taiwan or enabling Nepal to claim India's land as a distracting tactic and allowing people to galvanise to be more nationalistic and this way they want to prolong their own control over their country but, the fact remains that Tibetans and Uyghurs, they don't want China to control their land any more", said Senge H Sering.
The Covid-19 pandemic originated from China before it swept across the world, affecting millions and stalling economies the world over. There is a growing chorus against China for its poor handling of the crisis and hiding facts about the highly cntagious disease and thus misleading the world.
"China is feeling threatened, it's vulnerable in a way that its economy is not improving the way it used to be a few years back. Covid-19 has restricted the country in a very bad way and at the same time the dissent in the western autonomous region is threatening China's control," Senge said.
Senge said, "On top of that when India improves its infrastructure it becomes even more threatening for China. So, if you have all aspects together, you will realise that China will try to do its utmost. It will use all options there to not enable India to build infrastructure but the fact remains that China is an occupier in Aksai Chin, in Gilgit Baltistan and now it's trying to intrude into Ladakh."
He laid stress on the fact that by abiding all international rules and regulations China must withdraw from Aksai Chin and other occupied areas.
"These are Indian territories. The people in Xinjiang, especially the Uyghur, recognize that these are India's lands and people in Tibet - the Tibetan government-in-exile, recognize that these are India's lands. There is no dispute with the people of Xinjiang and people of Tibet as far as Aksai Chin, Shaksgam and other parts of Ladakh are concerned. So, the International community should stand with India and make China withdraw from these places", said Senge by adding that India must immediately build a protective wall in front of DS-DBO (Darbuk-Shyok-DBO) Road since China is trying to damage it by flooding the Galwan River.