China readies buildup on its disputed border with India

Stratfor Intelligence

5 September 2003

Chinese military forces are conducting aggressive patrols inside the disputed border with India. Indian security personnel, part of the Special Service Bureau, were picked up by the Chinese military last summer for allegedly crossing the line.

China, meanwhile, is quietly building up its presence in the eastern border region, creating all-weather roads and logistical support facilities that appear designed for rapid deployment of troops and forces.

Rough terrain on the Indian side of the border has hindered a similar buildup.

The Chinese patrols have occurred along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal province, according to an Indian press report.

The Indian-Chinese border is about 1,800 miles long and was the site of a conflict in 1962. After that conflict, China began backing Pakistan and said recently that it would support Islamabad in any conflict with India. Indian army troops had been posted along the border until two years ago, when they were shifted to Kashmir following the 2001 terrorist attack on the Indian parliament.