Following renewed border tensions between China and India over the past two weeks, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has been reportedly mobilizing forces, including bombers, air defense troops, artillery, armored vehicles, paratroopers, special forces and infantry units, from different parts of the country to the bordering plateau region, reports said.
H-6 bombers and Y-20 large transport aircraft attached to the PLA Central Theater Command Air Force have been deployed to the plateau region for training missions.
According to public media reports, long-distance maneuvers, deployment exercises and live-fire drills have been taking place in Northwest China’s desert areas and Southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region over the past weeks.
HJ-10 anti-tank missile systems attached to the PLA 71st Group Army recently travelled from East China’s Jiangsu Province to Northwest China’s Gobi desert over thousands of kilometers, while the PLA Tibet Military Command conducted round-the-clock combined brigade strike exercises at an elevation of over 4,500 meters, China Central Television (CCTV) reported last week.
An air defense brigade under the PLA 72nd Group Army also mobilized to the Northwest region and held live-fire confrontational drills with anti-aircraft guns and missiles.
Paratroopers and heavy equipment on board the Air Force’s transport aircraft recently conducted a multidimensional area capture and control exercise, also in the deserts of Northwest China.
More reports and those released by the PLA units on their own social media accounts indicate that it is not only the 71st and 72nd group armies, but also many others based all over the country that have recently made similar deployments, featuring artillery, armored vehicles and infantry units.