China has started building a new railway that will link central Tibet with its capital, Lhasa. The route skirts the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the disputed border area with India, and has raised fresh worries about its military and security implications.
The project aims to give China faster and cheaper access to its eastern Tibetan provinces. Experts say the line could boost Chinese troop movements and supply lines along the frontier. Because India is also planning its own rail projects near the LAC, the new track could shift the balance of power in the high‑altitude border region.
Tsewang Dorjee, a researcher at the Tibet Policy Institute, said the railway is part of Beijing’s broader strategy to build a 5,000‑kilometre network across the Tibetan plateau. “China is not just building infrastructure; it’s also tightening its hold on remote areas,” Dorjee explained. He also noted the new highway between Nagchu and Ngari that will run adjacent to the rail line, further improving Chinese military mobility.
The line will run from Shigatse, near Mount Kailash, through western Tibet and cross into the contested area of Aksai Chin, close to the Demchok point on the Ladakh border. Some stretches of the route are as near as 20–30 kilometres from Indian territory. According to Dorjee, the project could be finished in five years if construction proceeds at a military pace.
Beyond security concerns, the railway would open up Tibet’s rich mineral wealth. The western plains called Changtang contain deposits of gold, copper, zinc, and lithium—resources vital to today’s AI and technology sectors. “The railway is both a mining gateway and a strategic asset,” Dorjee added.
Tibetan writer and activist Tenzin Tsundue called the railway “one of China’s most ambitious and provocative projects.” He warned that the high‑altitude track could give China a logistical edge in any future conflict with India and could increase the country’s influence over the entire Himalayan region.
Both Dorjee and Tsundue agree that the Xinjiang‑Lhasa railway is a key element of China’s expansionist policy in the Himalayas. If tensions between India and China rise, the new line could play a decisive role in moving troops, supplies, and resources along the border. The Indian government, meanwhile, continues to plan its own rail infrastructure to secure its frontiers.
Source: aninews
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