Chinese Aviation Hegemony Along India’s Northern Borders: The Nine-Year Surge Since Doklam
Chinese provincial-level administrative divisions of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) have been in a state of infrastructure overdrive since the significant India–China relational threshold of Doklam. This standoff, which occurred in mid-2017, is one of the two contemporary thresholds (in addition to Galwan Valley 2020 standoff), which has had serious and severe impact and implications, as far as the infrastructure build-up facet goes, on the relational and security dynamics between India and China. The infrastructure hegemony and overdrive include the oft-cited key dimension of aviation too. This includes airports, helibases (also termed as heliports) and the enhanced helistrips, all along the Indian northern borders. All these developments will necessarily benefit China economically and militarily and also provide the necessary foundation and boost to China’s aggressive intent, in TAR and XUAR along India’s northern borders. The PLA is also found to be investing significantly and heavily in dual-utility aviation infrastructure, in its western regions, opposite India’s northern borders as part of its effective Military–Civil Fusion (MCF) strategy. This article analyses the Chinese aggressive, fast-paced aviation infrastructure build-up campaign, including the new developments and continued infrastructure enhancements, the obvious hegemonic and coercive intent and their implications on the security of India’s northern borders.
- Rajiv Lathar |
- April-June 2026 |
