China threatens entire Asia with military construction in…, set to affect 2 billion people, concern for India due to…

• Home
• News
• China threatens entire Asia with military construction in…, set to affect 2 billion people, concern for India due to…

China’s unabated military construction in Tibet, which is often referred to as the ‘water tower of Asia’, could trigger a critical water shortage in the future, affecting over 2 billion people across Asia.

Published: August 21, 2025 11:27 PM IST

(File)

China Tibet Issue: China is rapidly expanding its military infrastructure in Tibet, which could pose a major environmental threat to the region as well as other parts of South Asia and South-East Asia, affecting over two billion people.

How China’s military construction could trigger an environmental disaster?

As per a report by the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP), the ground temperature in Tibet has increased between 0.1 to 0.5 ° C annually over the last three decades, and the rapid construction by China has damaged glaciers, which are the source of ten major rivers that provide water to over two billion people across Asia.

The report warned that China’s unabated construction in Tibet, which is often referred to as the ‘water tower of Asia’, could trigger a critical water shortage in the future as the glaciers are melting due to construction activities in the region.

What is China building in Tibet?

As per media reports, China has built second runway at the Gonggar Airport, new hangars for airborne early warning aircraft at Shigatse Airport, and additional runways for UAV operations for its J-16 fighter aircraft and Y-20 heavy transports. In 2024, Beijing allocated 80 billion yuan for building ten new new airports and 47 ALGs in its Western Theater Command, that includes five military sub-districts– Ngari, Shigatse, Lhasa, Nyingchi and Chamdo.

Add India.com as a Preferred Source

China has already constructed Advanced Landing Grounds (ALG) at an altitude of 3,000 to 5,500 meters in Tibet.

Additionally, China has rapidly expanded railway network in Tibet since the completion of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway in 2006. Experts point out the strategic nature of the railway expansion, as it can be used rapidly transport military equipment and personnel in case of tensions with India on the Line of Actual Control (LAC)

China has built nine massive stations on the rail network with the capacity to ferry an entire infantry division along with their equipment, while and expansion of the road network has given China’s People Liberation Army (PLA) the capability to carry out rapid military operations in Tibet.

According to reports, China has constructed a 15,000 kilometers long all-weather road in Tibet, capable of carrying heavy military vehicles and equipment. The expansive road network include 124 large class 70 bridges with a load-bearing capacity of up to 70 tons, they said.

Why China’s military construction poses a threat to India?

According to defense experts, China’s Western Theater Command is entirely focused on a confrontation with India, especially along the LAC. China has deployed about 70,000 to 120,000 troops in Tibet, with around 40,000 to 50,000 stationed in the Tibet Military District alone.

As per media reports, Chinese troops are mainly deployed at its military installations, forward operating bases of its Western Theater Command, as well as major transportation routes connecting to the LAC.

Story Highlights

• China is rapidly expanding its military infrastructure in Tibet.
• The construction activity has damaged glaciers which are the source of ten major rivers.
• China’s military construction could trigger an environment disaster, affecting two billion people across Asia.
• China has deployed about 70,000 to 120,000 troops in Tibet.

Additionally, China is also building the Yarlung Tsangpo dam, the world’s largest hydropower dam, on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which is known as the Brahmaputra in India, in Tibet. The mega project, which is being built a whopping cost of $170 billion (about Rs 14 lakh crore), could pose a significant danger to India and other lower-riparian states including Bangladesh once it is completed and becomes operational by 2030.

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}