New Chinese heliport along LAC fuels tension with India

It is no secret that China has built hundreds of model villages along the border, many of them in areas claimed by other countries. These civilian outposts act as the ‘eyes and ears’ of Beijing in defending its territory while projecting its power abroad and securing its rule at home.
The latest addition to China’s great wall of defence infrastructure is a heliport lying in the fishtail zone, one of the most sensitive areas along the disputed India-China border.

Satellite image of newly built Chinese heliport merely 20 km from the Indian border. (Source: Planet Labs PBC (Image date: 01/08/2024)

Recent satellite images from American Earth imaging company Planet Labs PBC show China has rapidly built a heliport — with a 600-metre-long runway and multiple hangars — near Arunachal Pradesh’s fishtail sector.
Notably, there was no construction in the region until December 2023. However, open-source satellite images accessed by India Today from Sentinel Hub show the facility at an advanced level of construction on September 16. Construction for the new heliport started after December 1 last year when the land was cleared and went on in full swing from January 2024.

Before and After satellite image of the construction from December, 2023 to September, 2024.

The heliport in Zay¼ county is located along the banks of the Gongrigabu Qu River in Nyingchi, Tibet, just 20 kilometres from the nearest Indian border, and within Chinese bounds. But, it is still a cause of worry for India.
Open-source researcher Damien Symon points out that the facility will likely enhance China’s ability to swiftly mobilise troops to forward positions and aid in border patrol.
The Chaglagam area, also known as the “Fish Tail”, due to the shape of the border, located in the easternmost corner of Arunachal Pradesh, is largely glaciated terrain where patrols from both sides are far and few. It has consistently seen intrusions by the Chinese in the past.

Map of fishtail zones near Arunachal Pradesh where China constructed a heliport.

Fishtail 1 in the Dibang Valley and Fishtail 2 in the Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh, are considered particularly sensitive due to “differing perceptions” of the LAC between India and China, as per Major General (Dr) Ashok Kumar, Director General of Centre For Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS).
These developments have a “dual purpose”, wherein defence needs are also being factored into any future conflicts, says the Kargil war veteran.
He linked the new development to China’s attempt to change “the demographic profile of the region by bringing the Han population from the interior of the Chinese mainland” to the remote frontier.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on September 12 that about 75 per cent of the “disengagement problems” with China have been “sorted out”, but the “bigger issue” has been the increasing militarisation of the border.
“What happened in 2020 was in violation of multiple agreements for some reasons which are still not entirely clear to us; we can speculate on it,” he said, referring to the Galwan clashes in which 20 Indian Army personnel, including a Colonel, and at least four Chinese soldiers were killed.
He stressed that “both sides agreed to work with urgency and redouble their efforts to realise complete disengagement in the remaining areas. NSA conveyed that peace and tranquillity in border areas and respect for LAC are essential for normalcy in bilateral relations.”
Major General (Dr) Ashok Kumar adds, “It is in the interest of India to not only keep an eye on such developments but create infrastructure in a mission mode to safeguard its national interests.”
India has responded with what it calls “Vibrant Villages,” a campaign that aims to revive hundreds of villages in four Northeastern border states, including Arunachal Pradesh. But China is outbuilding India in a display of Chinese strength and superiority in the region.