'The Chicken Neck chokehold': How China and its allies are encircling India’s weakest link

Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh

Throat Choke

India’s northeast dangles by a thread—just 22 km wide. If this sliver of land goes dark, 45 million people are effectively cut off. No backup route. No second chance.

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Red Encircle

China’s highways in Nepal. Ports in Bangladesh. Listening posts in Myanmar. Experts warn the Dragon’s grip is tightening around India’s softest point—and fast.

Guardian Bluff

Bangladesh’s recent comments about “guarding” India’s access to the sea stirred anxiety in Delhi. Is Dhaka flexing muscle—or signaling a strategic pivot?

Corridor Wars

1962. 2017. And now 2025? Every standoff at the Chicken Neck adds fuel to a looming flashpoint. Military analysts say it’s not if—but when.

Saboteur's Dream

Pakistani intel in Dhaka. China-backed networks across the border. The Chicken Neck is increasingly seen as India’s Achilles’ heel in a hybrid war scenario.

Sky Fortified

Rafales scream overhead. BrahMos batteries line the hills. India’s military buildup in Siliguri is less about defense—and more about survival.

Himalayan Trap

With Bhutan’s fragile stability and Nepal’s political flip-flops, India’s strategic buffer zone is eroding. Siliguri’s importance grows as regional ground shifts.

One Road Risk

No detours. No Plan B. India’s entire northeastern artery flows through this single corridor. And Beijing knows it.

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Silk Route Squeeze

As China revives its ancient trade routes across South Asia, India’s Chicken Neck looks more and more like a pressure valve waiting to burst.

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