mea: Second bridge on Pangong Lake being constructed by China in area under its illegal occupation since 1960s: MEA | India News – Times of India
“We have seen reports of a bridge being constructed by China on Pangong Lake alongside its earlier bridge. Both these bridges are in areas that have continued to be under the illegal occupation of China since the 1960s. We have never accepted such illegal occupation of our territory, nor have we accepted the unjustified Chinese claim or such construction activities,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.
“We have made it clear on several occasions that the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India and we expect other countries to respect India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.
Satellite imagery showed a second bridge was being built by China around the strategically key Pangong Tso Lake in eastern Ladakh. It could help the Chinese military to quickly mobilise its troops in the region, according to people familiar with the development.
Bagchi said that government too has stepped up development of border infrastructure — especially since 2014 — including construction of roads and bridges, to ensure that the nation’s security interests are fully protected. “The government remains committed to the objective of creating infrastructure along the border areas to not only meet India’s strategic and security requirements but also facilitate the economic development of these areas,” he said, adding the Centre keeps a constant watch on all developments that have a bearing on India security and takes all necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Earlier in February too, the government had maintained in the Parliament that the bridge China is constructing on Pangong Lake is located in areas that have continued to be under China’s illegal occupation since 1962. It had reiterated that India has never accepted this illegal occupation.
The second bridge is being built amid the lingering standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries at several friction points in eastern Ladakh for over two years.
China has been focusing on strengthening its military infrastructure after Indian troops captured several strategic peaks on the southern bank of the Pangong Lake in August 2020 after the Chinese PLA attempted to intimidate them in the area.
