Commercial satellite imagery exclusively sourced by India Today’s OSINT team indicates China’s claims over the disputed Shaksgam Valley may not be limited to political messaging. Beijing is rapidly extending its road network across the valley, supported by multiple construction and logistics sites which appear to have scaled up significantly over the last two years.
Several of these new sites sit uncomfortably close to India’s Siachen Glacier sector, prompting fresh concerns in Delhi. Earlier this week, China publicly reaffirmed its claims over the Shaksgam Valley shortly after India raised objections.
“India considers the 1963 agreement between Pakistan and China as illegal. Therefore, any activity in the Shaksgam Valley is concerned, we do not approve of it,” Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi told reporters on Tuesday.
Several of the recently identified support sites include what appear to be cement production or mixing facilities, enabling uninterrupted construction in an otherwise isolated zone. Temporary shelters, staging areas, and earth-moving machinery are also visible in the imagery.
It sits close to the Siachen Glacier and several Karakoram passes, making it strategically relevant for military logistics, surveillance, and regional positioning.