A Ladakh-101 thread on what's happening between China and India currently. Caveats: This is Twitter. Tweet limits are limiting. My own knowledge is also limited. That said, I wanted to paint a little context.

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Ladakh is a Union Territory (a type of administrative area) within the old region of Kashmir. That should immediately summon connotations for most Western readers. It's mountainous, very changeable weather, wide rivers roam across their own valleys of which there are scores.

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The above image gives you an idea of the strategic value. Almost an isthmus between China, Pakistan and Afghanistan alone. A closer view gives you a simplified idea of the complexity of the claims. The current tension increase is largely along the Aksai Chin line of control.

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One factor leading to this increase has been road construction following valleys to connect the NE of the region. This has added to other tensions such as the claims over Aksai Chin and the Pangong Tso lake as well as WHO releasing maps labelling parts of Ladakh as Chinese.

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Whatever the causes, Chinese troops have reportedly moved several kilometres into Ladakh, to the confluence of the Galwan River and the larger Shyok River, an area that provides overwatch positions over a significant length of the road.

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Reports of the number of troops involved varies between 5,000 and 10,000 PLA. EurAsian Times have published satellite images purported to be PLA camps within Ladakh close the Galwan River which joins the Shyok.

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Additional reports of tensions are also coming from the Sikkim region which is an Indian/Chinese border area adjacent to Nepal, the country where British Gurkhas hail from.

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Whatever the causes of the situation, I truly hope that cooler heads prevail. Anyway, I encourage you to read up on the region, it's history, the claims, the DSDBO road and the current negotiations.

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/FIN