Using Google Earth I created this image in order to better understand the geography and location of the much touted Chinese road infrastructure.
My comments will be below the posted images
As listed by Rohit in a different post, there is the G 219 that extends from Tibet, parallel to the Indian border and goes north via Aksai Chin into Xinjiang. This road (G 219) is mostly at 5000 meters. The terrain all the way to the Indian border/LAC pretey much remains at 5000 meters, but the plain gets more mountainous towards India. The G 219 descends to 1200 meters in Xinjiang and goes into Yarkant city.
There are a string of cities in Xinjiang with Kashgar (1200 m) in the north west. The G 315 highway runs from Kashgar to Yarkant and then eastwards to Karakax city (1200 m)
The G 314 Highway is the Karakoram highway from the Kunjerab pass in PoK to Kashgar city. The altitudes marked on the map are indicative of the terrain, although Aksai Chin is pretty much a plain.
The Aksai Chin roads marked in green are enlarged and described below:
The roads in green are Chinese roads in Aksai chin and I have some more details below. The green roads seem run up to the LAC almost up to DBO (Daulat Beg Oldi). It is only in this area that the Chinese seem to have created a road that runs parallel to the LAC. Why would the Chinese build a road parallel to the LAC unless something is forcing them to recognize it as the LAC? But it is pretty close to the LAC and this road marked in green goes all the way back and joind the G 219. This road would allow the Chinese to bring heavy equipment very close to DBO.
My comments will be below the posted images
There are a string of cities in Xinjiang with Kashgar (1200 m) in the north west. The G 315 highway runs from Kashgar to Yarkant and then eastwards to Karakax city (1200 m)
The G 314 Highway is the Karakoram highway from the Kunjerab pass in PoK to Kashgar city. The altitudes marked on the map are indicative of the terrain, although Aksai Chin is pretty much a plain.
The Aksai Chin roads marked in green are enlarged and described below:
The roads in green are Chinese roads in Aksai chin and I have some more details below. The green roads seem run up to the LAC almost up to DBO (Daulat Beg Oldi). It is only in this area that the Chinese seem to have created a road that runs parallel to the LAC. Why would the Chinese build a road parallel to the LAC unless something is forcing them to recognize it as the LAC? But it is pretty close to the LAC and this road marked in green goes all the way back and joind the G 219. This road would allow the Chinese to bring heavy equipment very close to DBO.
Dear Bennedose,
ReplyDeleteThe road you point out running parallel to the LAC is actually lined with jerricans.
These cans appear to act as road edge demarcations.
I do not know how serviciable these cans are, it could be these cans act as fuel reserves.
I wonder if the Chinese soldiers can patrol the area at night and what if any night operations capabilites they have.
ReplyDeleteAre those jerry cans? I though they might be furrows caused by bulldozers piling up dirt to form an elevated level road surface. This is common all along the G 219
ReplyDeleteThere is another curious thing I find elsewhere. For example look at the general area starting from 34°30'38.04"N and 79° 6'49.17"E.
A Chinese road seems to reach its southern limit there in the mountains of Aksai Chin as the heights go up above 5500 meters. Then cross the red line (LAC) into India and you will find that India to the west is criss crossed by numerous montain roads. This goes against the common "wisdom" that the Chines have infrastructure all the way to the border and India has no roads.
Who gives Google the data for marking the LAC with that red line?
There is a photo on flickr that shows they are jerricans. That is how I came to know of it. Now the funny thing is that the photo was put up by an Indian.
ReplyDeleteMy guess is that this is the "line of perception" stuff that people talk about whereby patrols routinely walk as they please over the land. That would explain how an Indian came to possess such high resolution photos of a Chinese military road.
I suspect Google pulls stuff out of its posterior on things like this.
High res satellite images of Aksai Chin
ReplyDeletehttp://www.raize.ch/Reisen/velo-eurasien/satellite-images.htm
Also some movies/virtual flybys
I added paths to all roads in Aksai Chin just like you did. The jerricans were the first feature that intrigued me. I followed all the paths you have highlighted. Also followed the highway from DBO to G219. I also found many other fortifications to a smaller scale along the highway. Maybe storage. Also there are many other highways other than these (but smaller) which branch off these. And yes. I guess there are no defined borders here. They may occasionally patrol at their will.I was not sure what the 'jerricans' were initially. Initially thought they were some kind of fencing put by the Chinese. But later found those were roads.
ReplyDeleteI added paths to all roads in Aksai Chin just like you did. The jerricans were the first feature that intrigued me. I followed all the paths you have highlighted. Also followed the highway from DBO to G219. I also found many other fortifications to a smaller scale along the highway. Maybe storage. Also there are many other highways other than these (but smaller) which branch off these. And yes. I guess there are no defined borders here. They may occasionally patrol at their will.I was not sure what the 'jerricans' were initially. Initially thought they were some kind of fencing put by the Chinese. But later found those were roads.
DeleteI added paths to all roads in Aksai Chin just like you did. The jerricans were the first feature that intrigued me. I followed all the paths you have highlighted. Also followed the highway from DBO to G219. I also found many other fortifications to a smaller scale along the highway. Maybe storage. Also there are many other highways other than these (but smaller) which branch off these. And yes. I guess there are no defined borders here. They may occasionally patrol at their will.I was not sure what the 'jerricans' were initially. Initially thought they were some kind of fencing put by the Chinese. But later found those were roads.
ReplyDeleteThat is really nice to hear. thank you for the update and good luck.
ReplyDeleteGreen Roads