Satellite images show China expanding road network in Arunachal sector under its control
text_fields
High-resolution satellite imagery indicates that China is expanding road infrastructure in a sector along the Tibet-Arunachal Pradesh frontier that has remained under Chinese control since 1959 but falls within India's historical claim under the McMahon Line.
The new road links a Chinese village identified by NDTV in 2021 with another settlement constructed about 9.4 km to its west. While most of the new settlement lies in territory controlled by China, a construction site and two helipads appear to fall within India's historical claim. The exact boundary cannot be confirmed because the India-China border in the area has not been formally demarcated.
Indian sources said the area lies beyond the Line of Actual Control (LAC), meaning it is outside the zone currently patrolled by the Indian Army, although India continues to claim the territory.
The development gained attention after a welfare society representing the Nah tribal community in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Subansiri district alleged that the People's Liberation Army had occupied parts of their ancestral grazing, hunting, and agricultural land over the past six years by building roads, camps, and other infrastructure.
The Indian Army rejected the allegation, stating that reports of recent Chinese encroachment and new PLA camps in Arunachal Pradesh were "incorrect and without any basis."
Geospatial intelligence researcher Damien Symon said the newer village has been under development since 2024 and is connected by a road network extending towards the perceived border with India. He said the settlement includes two helipads, completed buildings, parked vehicles and solar panels, indicating that parts of it are occupied or being prepared for occupation.
Strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney said China was pursuing a sustained campaign of building military outposts and frontier villages connected by roads to strengthen its position along the border.
India has responded with a major infrastructure push in Arunachal Pradesh, including the 1,748-km Arunachal Frontier Highway, the Vibrant Villages Programme and multiple Border Roads Organisation projects aimed at improving connectivity and strengthening its presence along the frontier.