Chinese soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army march during an event at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing (Getty)

NEW DELHI: China has adopted a new law on the protection and exploitation of the land border area, that emphasizes on defending the country’s territorial integrity, while encouraging infrastructure and other developmental works in border areas.
Members of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) approved the law on Saturday, Xinhua reported. It comes into effect from January 1, 2022.
The law stipulates that “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the People’s Republic of China are sacred and inviolable,” the Xinhua report said.
The state shall take measures to safeguard territorial integrity and land boundaries and guard against and combat any act that undermines territorial sovereignty and land boundaries, it further said.
Advocating talks to resolve border disputes, the law says “The state shall, following the principle of equality, mutual trust and friendly consultation, handle land border-related affairs with neighbouring countries through negotiations to properly resolve disputes and longstanding border issues.”
China is yet to finalise the border agreements with India and Bhutan, while Beijing has already resolved boundary disputes with 12 other neighbours.
The law also makes it clear that Chinese military will engage in enhanced activities close to border regions.
Chinese military “shall carry out border duties” including “organising drills” and “resolutely prevent, stop and combat invasion, encroachment, provocation and other acts,” it says.
The law also stresses on economic, social and infrastructural developments, with state support for the construction of border towns.
It calls for establishment of trade areas and border economic cooperation zones at the borders, and for improving the ecological environment along the border, including epidemic control and maintaining flood and fire control.
“The state shall take measures to strengthen border defence, support economic and social development as well as opening-up in border areas, improve public services and infrastructure in such areas, encourage and support people’s life and work there, and promote coordination between border defence and social, economic development in border areas,” it says.
China has began constructing a number of villages close to the border with proper infrastructure in Tibet which have become an essential and effective part of border defence, state-run Global Times reported on October 19.
The number of well-off, high-standard border villages with good roads stood at over 600 by the end of 2020, according to a Xinhua report. At least 130 border roads have been newly built, with a total length of 3,080 km, it said.
The new land border law was adopted amid the continued standoff between Indian and Chinese militaries in eastern Ladakh. The region saw huge military build-ups by both sides following the Galwan clash of June 15, 2020. The two sides disengaged at Pangong Tso and Gogra after proonged talks, but are yet to reach an agreement on several other locations.
India-China border disputes cover 3,488-km along the Line of Actual Control. With Bhutan too, China has disputes over a 400 km stretch.
On October 14, China and Bhutan signed an MOU firming up a three-step roadmap for expediting the boundary negotiations, which Beijing said will make a “meaningful contribution” to speed up the border talks and establishment of diplomatic ties.
(With inputs from PTI)