China's latest ambitious project near LAC: 5,000-km rail link between Xinjiang and Tibet

China is set to begin construction on one of its most ambitious rail projects, linking Xinjiang province with Tibet and running "near" the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post has reported. The project, expected to begin this year, will create a rail link connecting Hotan in Xinjiang with Lhasa in Tibet.

The Xinjiang-Tibet Railway Company (XTRC) was officially registered with an initial capital of 95 billion yuan (USD 13.2 billion), and the project will be overseen by the China State Railway Group. This ambitious initiative aims to establish a 5,000 km plateau rail framework centered around Lhasa by 2035, according to Hubei-based Huayuan Securities.

"Parts of the route will also run near the China-India Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto border between the two countries, giving it defensive importance in a frontier area with less infrastructure than the rest of China," the SCMP reported, underlining the strategic significance of the rail link.

The Xinjiang-Tibet Railway is part of China's broader plan to better integrate Tibet with the rest of the country. The route will connect Lhasa with Hotan and Shigatse, forming a strategic 2,000 km artery between northwestern and southwestern China. The line will pass through rugged terrain, including the Kunlun, Karakoram, Kailash, and Himalayan mountain ranges, and will cross glaciers, frozen rivers, and permafrost. 

The project has been in planning since 2008 and has gone through various stages, including the launch of survey tenders in May 2022 for the Hotan-Shigatse section.

This rail line, along with other infrastructure projects such as the Xinjiang-Tibet highway, which passes through the disputed Aksai Chin area, raises tensions with India. Aksai Chin, which India considers as part of its territory based on historical treaties, was a major flashpoint in the 1962 India-China war. The development of infrastructure near the LAC is expected to enhance China's defensive capabilities in the region, which India closely monitors.

The US is also paying close attention to China's growing infrastructure in Tibet, as the region's high-speed rail network already extends close to the Arunachal Pradesh border in India. 

The timing of this rail project is significant, coming just as China and India begin a gradual process of normalising relations after years of tension. Both countries have engaged diplomatically, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping meeting last year on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia.

The new Xinjiang-Tibet rail link also adds to a series of infrastructure projects being undertaken by China in Tibet, including real estate development, tourism, and even international contracting.

(With inputs from PTI)