China chides India over new border posts in Arunachal

Beijing: China’s Defence Ministry cautioned India on Thursday over plans to construct 54 new border posts along the border in Arunachal Pradesh.

“We urge the Indian side to do more to maintain peace and stability in the area and not do things that may complicate the situation,” said Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun.

In September, Indian and Chinese troops faced off along the border in Ladakh, even as President Xi Jinping was in Delhi to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and both leaders pledged to boost economic cooperation and substantially increase Chinese investment in India’s infrastructure.

India also recently announced plans to build a new 2000-kilometre road in Arunachal to keep up with China’s development of transport links and airstrips on its side of the Line of Actual Control.  Delhi has also announced Rs 175 crore which will be spent on improving infrastructure along the border. 

Asked why China is wary of that, its Defence Ministry spokesman said, “I think that the roads you are talking about are in the eastern part of the China-India border which is still a disputed area.”
 

 

(With inputs from agencies)