Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: The Chinese troops may have intruded only 19 kilometres into the Indian territory in Ladakh but India stands to lose access to at least 750 sq km of strategic area.
An English daily reported on Thursday that following the incursion, Chinese troops have started reinforcing their position across the Line of Actual Control.
At the third flag meeting on Thursday, the Chinese side had rejected India`s demand to pull back troops from Raki Nala in the Depsang Bulge area of Ladakh`s DBO sector.
Highly placed sources said the Chinese have even started to replenish supplies to over 30 PLA troops stationed in the tented posts set up there.
Satellite imagery shows the PLA has even started building a proper road there.
Experts say the issue is fast snowballing into a major diplomatic crisis, from just a "localized problem`` as described earlier.
As per the report, the Chinese troops are stationed at the Depsang Bulge, which is a table-top plateau, and its occupation by the PLA troops would cut off access to nearly 750 sq km area in northern Ladakh. The site where PLA troops have set up tented posts is just 35 kms south of the strategic Karakoram Pass.
