Expansionist China demanding buffer zone within India-claimed Ladakh territory

According to a report from telegraphindia.com on May 22, the Chinese army has advanced 18km into territory claimed by India in the Depsang Plains of Ladakh. They have demanded the establishment of a 15-20 km buffer zone further inside Indian territory as a precondition for disengagement from the area. This demand was initially made during the 18th round of corps commander talks last month and has been reiterated during subsequent military discussions at lower levels, as stated by an Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) official.

The report mentions that India rejected the demand during negotiations and instead agreed to a 3-4 km buffer zone. However, the Chinese army refused to accept this compromise. In eastern Ladakh, the widest existing buffer zone is 10 km, which has led some military veterans to criticize the Indian government for conceding more territory to the Chinese.

The ITBP official expressed concern that the Chinese army is already deeply entrenched 18 km inside India-claimed lines and is actively working towards establishing a revised status quo along the Line of Actual Control in the region.

Notably, the Depsang Plains remain the only friction point where disengagement has not yet taken place since the Chinese incursion in May 2020. On the other hand, demilitarized buffer zones have been established in other areas, including the Galwan Valley (3 km wide), Pangong Lake (10 km), Gogra (3.5 km), and Hot Springs (4 km), as part of the disengagement process, as per sources from the Indian defense ministry.

While some military experts and officials have criticized the Indian government for conceding territory, the defense ministry has maintained that these buffer zones are temporary and India has not relinquished its rights over those areas.

A research paper presented at the DGPs’ conference in Delhi in January highlighted how India had lost access to 26 of its 65 patrolling points (PPs) in eastern Ladakh due to the Chinese incursion. The Depsang Plains, located west of Aksai Chin and encompassing a 972 sqkm plateau at an elevation of 16,000 ft, have the Siachen Glacier on their northwestern edge and have been under China’s illegal occupation since 1962.

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