In addition to multifarious incursions against the laws, citizens, and guests of distant countries, China likes to crowd neighboring countries and even to occupy land on the other side of its border with these countries, as it has done in Bhutan.
After a certain number of encroachments, satellite images of such encroachment, and military clashes, the other countries may decide to counter China’s edge-of-border civil-military infrastructure with some of their own. According to the Press Trust of India, India plans to “to match China in infrastructure development along borders within 2 years” (December 27, 2023).
Eastern Army Commander Lt General Rana Pratap Kalita on Wednesday said within a couple of years, India will be able to match China in terms of infrastructure development along the borders between the two countries….
As of now, [the People’s Liberation Army] has a certain amount of advantage over India as far as infrastructure in certain specific areas are concerned, he added. “Otherwise, we have been able to match,” he said.
To a question about [priorities] for infrastructure development in border areas for dual civil-military use, Kalita said that road connectivity up to the border posts, data communication and mobile connectivity, helipads and airports in the remote areas top the list.
“Because of the large distances involved and these areas being prone to landslides, snowslides and avalanches, we need to depend on helipads and ALGs [advanced landing grounds] to a large measure,” he said….
Kalita said plans are afoot to build alternative road connectivity in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
If they are to defend themselves, India and the other countries at which China has been throwing border punches need to do this. They must answer China’s border-edge buildups with border-edge build-ups of their own. The infrastructure should include barbed wire fences, moats, laser cannons, force fields, and whatever else may help deter further incursions.
