In the past seven decades, China has been actively building civilian, military, and dual-use infrastructure in Xinjiang and Tibet—which it calls, respectively, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) and the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). This infrastructure web runs close to India’s northern borders, over which clashes have led to two standoffs in the recent past: in mid-2017 (at Doklam) and in mid-2020 (in Galwan Valley). China’s infrastructure development includes roads, railways, airports, and hydroelectric power projects. It also includes elements of rural development—what China refers to as the creation of Xiaokang or “well-off villages”. This report describes China’s aggressive infrastructure campaign and its implications on the security of India’s northern borders.
China’s Infrastructure Buildup Near India’s Northern Borders: The Eight-Year Surge Since Doklam
