Soldiers Patrol The Snow-covered China-Pakistan Border

Soldiers patrol the snow-covered China-Pakistan border

Chinese border soldiers patrolled the snow-covered Khunjerab Pass on the Pamir Plateau this week, in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

Beijing, (Pakistan Point News - 3rd May, 2018) : Chinese border soldiers patrolled the snow-covered Khunjerab Pass on the Pamir Plateau this week, in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The pass, with an altitude of 5,300 meters above sea level, is an important point that connects China and Pakistan, reports Chinese official news network, the Global Times. It has also been reported that China's Military is bolstering the management of its border defence by developing new types of equipment including a satellite early warning system that can be used to monitor the border areas in all environments.

The mechanisation of equipment, vehicles and monitoring methods of People's Liberation Army (PLA) border defence will give an early-warning of any risks to security as well as overcoming previous blind spots, Song Zhongping, a military expert was quoted as saying by the Global Times. The PLA has to increase the level of automation of its equipment, Song noted. This will include tracking vehicles to conduct patrols and setting up unmanned monitoring systems, which means border regions will come under continuous monitoring and control.

To cater to various geographic environments along China's long borders, the PLA has developed equipment that can be used in water, in the air or on land, Song said. The PLA has deployed a new patrol boat there which is made of non-metallic materials, the report said. The craft has a top speed of 40 km per hour and can resist ice collisions. A type of heavy scout vehicle, called the "wild ox," capable of accommodating 17 full-armed soldiers, has been deployed to a border defence regiment in Southwest China's Yunnan Province, which shares a border with three countries.

Besides a BeiDou satellite navigation system, akin to that of US Global Position System (GPS), the vehicle also has a real-time communication system installed. The scout vehicle also has water filters, a kitchen and a toilet so it can conduct patrols in tropical environments. The report also implied that in the jungles of Yunnan, the sparsely populated deserts of Xinjiang and the high plateaus in Tibet, PLA troops began using drones to patrol more areas than 10 years ago, which has resulted in a 25-fold increase in efficiency.

Border defence troops in Koktokay, in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, have recently tested more than 20 types of new equipment. Koktokay in northern Xinjiang and bordering Mongolia has an average temperature of -20 degree celsius in winter. A new type of hot water bottle that can keep water hot for 24 hours has been issued to soldiers in Koktokay. The troops garrisoned at Koktokay have also tested other new equipment such as cold-proof blankets, tents and snow camouflage suits.