China is building a new bridge on Pangong Tso, building on the infrastructure on its side of the area near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

While not a matter of immediate concern, this bridge will provide an additional axis to deploy troops faster between the north and south banks of the lake, and closer to the LAC, giving the Chinese a strategic advantage.

The actual location of the bridge is about 20 km east of Finger 8 on the lake’s North Bank. Finger 8 denotes the LAC, according to the Indian military.

The PLA has frontier bases east of Khurnak Fort in Rutog county, close to the bridge.

Since the military standoff began in May 2020, India and China been building fortifications and general infrastructure all along the frontier region.

The north and south banks at Pangong Tso were among the several friction points that surfaced after the start of the standoff.

Towards the end, India was able to successfully to capture the previously unoccupied heights of the Kailash Range on the south bank of the lake, and with increased talks, put an end to the skirmish.

Experts say that the PLA is building this bridge with the aim of having multiple access points to counter any possible operations by the Indian forces on the southern banks.

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