Context: China has recently set up the Xinjiang-Xizang Railway Co. Ltd. to construct a high-altitude railway line linking Hotan in Xinjiang with Shigatse and Lhasa in Tibet.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: China’s Xinjiang-Tibet Railway Project.
China’s Xinjiang-Tibet Railway Project
- The project is part of Beijing’s larger “Go West Strategy” to integrate its underdeveloped western regions.
- The line will connect two restive and strategically sensitive frontier provinces – the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (northwest) and the Tibet Autonomous Region (south).
Key Features of the Project:
- The Xinjiang-Xizang line will run from Hotan in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to Shigatse and Lhasa in Xizang, Tibet.
- The project is a part of five planned railway corridors into Tibet, aimed at building a comprehensive rail network across the high-altitude region.
- The route is expected to run close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and may pass through Aksai Chin, Indian territory occupied by China since 1962.
Significance of the Project:
The project has multiple aims including facilitation of the movement of soldiers to harness untapped economic potential in these regions.
- Political Integration of Frontier Regions: Xinjiang and Tibet are historically prone to separatism and unrest. Enhanced connectivity strengthens the Chinese state’s presence and integrates them more tightly into Beijing’s administrative framework.
- Cultural Assimilation (Sinicisation): The railway facilitates Han Chinese migration into minority regions. This supports the policy of Sinicisation, which aims to assimilate local Uyghur and Tibetan populations into the dominant Han culture.
- Military and Strategic Utility: The railway provides the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) with faster troop mobilisation and logistical support in high-altitude areas.
- Economic Development of the West: The project seeks to unlock resources, promote trade, and generate employment in historically underdeveloped western provinces.
Implications for India:
- The railway may pass through Aksai Chin, strengthening China’s control over the Indian territory occupied by China since 1962.
- It will improve the PLA’s mobility and logistics, giving China a military edge along the LAC.