Amid the lingering Indo-China tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, Beijing has developed seven airports in Pakistan across India’s frontiers in the Western sector in Rajasthan and Gujarat to engage New Delhi in case of a conflict between the two Asian giants.
China’s all weather ally, Pakistan has been ramping up development of fighter bases along its frontier with India with funding from Beijing.
One of these air bases has been equipped with a night landing facility and another one is on the verge being readied with the facility.
Estimates here suggest Pakistan could undertake misadventures through the Gujarat border due to its network in the Kutch region and through a certain NGO radicalising youth in the garb of providing mainstream education. After the 26/11 hit in Mumbai, Gujarat could be a possible choice for terror hits, sources said.
China has developed these airports in the garb of facilitating its engineers and other personnel for undertaking oil exploration activities in the desert region of Pakistan. However, China’s overseas oil exploration firms have shareholding of PLA and Chinese Communist Party members.
As per its textbook tactics, China will ultimately take control of these bases for military use in the case of Pakistan failing to service the Chinese debts and use these facilities in the event of a conflict with India. China has taken control of the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka after Colombo failed to repay the Chinese investments for its development, the sources further said.