loading…
The new regulations give the Chinese army expanded powers to patrol or close off the country’s 14 land borders. Beijing cited concerns about the pandemic and security as reasons for the law.
Read: China Deploys Russian S-400 Missile System Near Ladakh, India
The Land Border Act, which will take effect on January 1, comes at a time when China is concerned about security on its border with Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, COVID-19 entering the country via illegal border crossings from its Southeast Asian neighbors and a tense standoff with India over border with those who have witnessed deadly fighting in the past year.
“The Chinese People’s Liberation Army will be allowed to fight against the “invasion, encroachment, infiltration, [atau] provocations” that occur on the borders of any country and provide a legal framework for harsh border closures,” the new law says.
India’s Hindustan Times reported that the new measure “officially formalizes the merging of China’s land border military defenses with increased social and economic development in the border areas.
Read: India Deploys 50,000 Troops to Border with China
“It also empowers people in border areas, such as Tibetan villagers living near India, Bhutan and Nepal, to act as a “first line of defense,” the Hindustan Times report said.
China and India have been locked in a border dispute since May 2020. A month later, fighting broke out between troops on both sides when soldiers hit each other with blunt instruments. About 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers were killed.
The law also emphasizes that in the case of border disputes, all diplomatic efforts must first be made before the military is deployed. According to Chinese state media, the law will benefit those living near the border.
(esn)
– .
