China begins large-scale mining at Arunachal Pradesh border
What's the story
China has begun large-scale mining operations on its side of the border with Arunachal Pradesh where a huge trove of gold, silver, and other precious minerals valued at about $60 billion has been found, said a media report.
The project is being undertaken in Lhunze county under Chinese control adjacent to the Indian border.
China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet.
China's ambitious efforts
Ambitious plan to reclaim South Tibet
The report said, "People familiar with the project say the mines are part of an ambitious plan by Beijing to reclaim South Tibet."
The report comes less than a month after the informal summit between Indian PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, aimed at cooling tensions to avert incidents like the Dokalam military standoff last year.
20 May 2018
Precious minerals to make hi-tech products hidden under Lhunze
The Post report said although mining has been going on in the world's highest mountain range for thousands of years, the challenge of accessing the remote terrain and concerns about environmental damage had until now limited the extent of the activities.
Most of the precious minerals which include rare earths used to make hi-tech products are hidden under Lhunze county, the report said.
Scale of activity
Scale of mining activity in Lhunze surpassed all of Tibet
By the end of last year, the scale of mining activity in Lhunze had surpassed that of all other areas in Tibet.
"Enormous, deep tunnels have been dug into the mountains along the military confrontation line, allowing thousands of tons of ore to be loaded and transported out by trucks daily, along roads built through every village," the report said.
Money from mining
Mining provides more than 80% of government's tax
Extensive power lines have been established, while construction is underway on an airport that can handle passenger jets, the report said.
A county official told the Post that over 80% of the county government's tax income came from mining.
The mines would also lead to a situation akin to "another South China Sea" arising out of the world's highest mountain range, it said.
Discoveries
Recent discoveries put ores value at $58 billion
Zheng Youye, a professor at the China University of Geosciences in Beijing confirmed that a series of discoveries in recent years put the potential value of ores at 370 billion Yuan ($58 billion).
There could be more big discoveries as Chinese researchers learn more about the area. With strong financial backing from the government, they have already amassed extensive data on the region.
Population increase
New mining activities would increase Chinese population in Himalayas
The new mining activities would lead to a rapid and significant increase in the Chinese population in the Himalayas, Zheng said, which would provide stable, long-term support for any diplomatic or military operations aimed at gradually driving Indian forces out of territory claimed by China.
"This is similar to what has happened in the South China Sea," he said.
Contrary opinions
Mining would not be expanded due to environmental reasons
Hao Xiaoguang, a researcher with the Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan said the mining would not be expanded to other areas due to environmental reasons.
Weng Qingzhen, who owns a Sichuan restaurant in the county, said she moved there less than two months ago after friends and relatives told her about the mining boom.