How China’s western highways raise strategic alarm for India

India’s strategic planners are closely watching reports that China plans to significantly strengthen its transport network in sensitive frontier regions over the next five years as part of its 15th Five-Year Plan. Among the proposed projects is a 394-km-long highway linking the northern and southern flanks of the rugged Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, a development that could further consolidate Beijing’s access and mobility across its remote western territories. For India, China’s rapid expansion of infrastructure across Tibet and Xinjiang is a matter of strategic consequence. Two key arteries—the G-217 and G-219 highways—already run across China’s western frontier, enhancing Beijing’s logistical…