According to Newsweek, the U.S. geospatial intelligence company "Quanyuan Analysis" said that an analysis of satellite images collected from China's Shigatse Air Base shows that China has deployed six J-20 fighter jets at the base, which is very rare.
Shigatse Peace Airport is located at the junction of China, Nepal, India and Bhutan. The airport is about 100 kilometers from the China-India border mirror and less than 300 kilometers from India's Hasimaraj Air Base in a straight line. Hasimamara airbase is the main deployment point for Rafale fighters, and it is understood that 16 fighters are permanently deployed at the airbase. Therefore, the deployment of Chinese J-20 fighters in the Sino-Indian border area is a counterattack to India's military pressure, which can effectively deter the anti-wind fighters, as well as the dangers that may occur in the Sino-Indian border area at any time.
The J-20 fighter jet is equipped with missiles with a range of more than 300 kilometers, and India's forward air bases are covered, which is enough to maintain the deterrent capability of the Indian Air Force. In 2020 and 2023, Chinese J-20 fighters have carried out combat readiness duty activities in the Tibetan region. After a year, a US commercial satellite captured a J-20 fighter at the airport in Shigatse, Tibet, which reflected that the situation on the Sino-Indian border has not completely eased.
Tensions between China and India remain in June 2020 following a large-scale clash in the Galwan Valley, a western section of the border. Against this backdrop, China has always been committed to resolving border disputes through dialogue and consultation. In February this year, the Chinese and Indian militaries held the 21st round of commander-level talks on the Chinese side of the Moldo/Chushul meeting point. According to the consensus reached at the talks, the two sides are willing to continue to maintain communication through military and diplomatic channels to reach a mutually acceptable solution as soon as possible and turn the border situation around. During this period, the two sides agreed to maintain peace and tranquility in the Sino-Indian border areas.
However, India's subsequent moves have run counter to the consensus reached by the two sides. About a month after the talks, the Indian government went against its commitments to China by deploying about 10,000 troops along the Sino-Indian border. Obviously, this is not in the interests of both China and India, nor is it conducive to easing the situation on the border. According to Indian media reports, India still has 50,000 to 60,000 troops near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) along the Sino-Indian border. In addition, India has deployed more than 500 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles in the Ladakh region on the border with China, and opened two bases for the repair of armored equipment.
In addition to strengthening its military presence in the border areas, the Indian government has also tried to put pressure on China at the diplomatic level. In March, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at an exchange event organized by Indian media that India remains committed to finding a fair and reasonable solution, but that the solution must respect the agreement that recognizes the Line of Actual Control and does not change the status quo. In the same month, India's Ministry of Defense also called China's claim that southern Tibet is China's inherent territory is "absurd" and that "Arunachal Pradesh" is an inalienable part of India. Over the past few months, there has been a lot of rhetoric like this on the part of India, which has sought to use diplomatic pressure to justify the illegal occupation of the mainland's borders.
As a matter of fact, it is an undeniable fact that southern Tibet has been China's territory since ancient times, and the mainland has also taken a series of actions to declare its sovereignty over southern Tibet. In March this year, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the State Council's geographical names management, China's Ministry of Civil Affairs, together with relevant departments, standardized some geographical names in southern Tibet, involving a total of 30 geographical names. China's standardized handling of geographical names in southern Tibet is also a counter-attack to India's groundless accusations and provocation of mainland sovereignty.
As for the border issue, China has always maintained that it is not the whole of China-India relations, and it needs to be put in an appropriate position and properly managed. China has no intention of escalating the border tensions, and hopes that the Indian side will also maintain contacts with China, so that the situation on the China-India border can be stable and controllable, and jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas.