New Delhi: Asserting India is closely monitoring reports of China building a bridge on Pangong Lake, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said this bridge is being constructed in areas that have been under Beijing’s illegal occupation for around 60 years.
“Regarding reports of a bridge being made by China on Pangong Lake, GoI monitoring this closely. This bridge is being constructed in areas that have been under illegal occupation by China for around 60 years,” MEA official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, ANI reported.
The MEA official spokesperson said the Indian government is taking all necessary steps to ensure “our security interests” are fully protected.
The remarks come as a new satellite image emerged earlier on Monday that shows China building a bridge on its side of the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh.
The people familiar with the development said that the satellite imagery is of an area on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) near the Galwan valley region, PTI reported.
The news agency reported sources as saying that the bridge is at a distance of around 40 km from the alignment of the LAC in the region.
READ: New Satellite Image Shows China Constructing Bridge On Its Side Of Pangong Lake In Ladakh: Report
The news agency further reported military experts as stating that the aim of constructing the bridge in the Khurnak area could be to ensure that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is able to quickly mobilise its troops in the region.
China has been focusing on strengthening its military infrastructure after the Indian troops took control of several strategic peaks on the southern bank of Pangong lake earlier in August 2020 following the Chinese PLA’s attempt to intimidate them in the area.
The eastern Ladakh border standoff between the armies of India and China erupted on May 5, 2020, after a violent clash in the Pangong lake area.
Both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers along with heavy weaponry.
Last year, both sides completed the disengagement process in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area as a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks.
However, the 13th round of Corps Commander-level military talks earlier in October last year ended in a stalemate with the Indian Army stating that the “constructive suggestions” made by it were not agreeable to the Chinese side.