Chinese President Jinping arrives at Arunachal Pradesh border, inspects Brahmaputra

(PTI) Beijing, Dt

Amid the conflict with India in eastern Ladakh, Chinese President Xi Jinping unexpectedly traveled to Tibet for the first time in his reign and as far as Ningchi, a strategically important city near the border with Arunachal Pradesh. Jinping arrived at Ningchi Mainling Airport on Wednesday. Jinping is probably the first Chinese leader to visit a city near the Indo-China border. Jinping's politically important visit was kept secret by Chinese officials until Friday.

This is Xi Jinping's first visit to Tibet since taking power in China in 2014. Jinping attended the 20th anniversary of Tibet's peaceful liberation in 2011 as vice president. During his visit to Ningchi, 9-year-old Jinping visited the Nyang River Bridge and observed the biodiversity in the Brahmaputra river bed. China has approved plans to build the world's largest dam on the Brahmaputra River during its 15th five-year plan this year. India's plan has been opposed by India and Bangladesh.

Ningchi is a prefecture level city in Tibet and is very close to the Arunachal border. China has for years considered Arunachal Pradesh to be part of its southern China Tibet. However, India has categorically denied his claim.

According to China's state-run Xinhua news agency, the Chinese president is currently in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa. The Chinese president's visit to the Arunachal border comes at a time when there is a tense atmosphere between India and China in eastern Ladakh. India and China rocked troops, tanks and missiles on both sides of the disputed site in eastern Ladakh in early May last year, creating a war-like situation. However, following a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two countries withdrew troops and weapons from the northern and southern shores of Lake Pangong in February. Both sides have now extended negotiations to reduce the tense atmosphere along the Line of Actual Control.

Ningchi shone in the news in June when China launched its first bullet train in Tibet. According to a video footage aired on Chinese social media, Ningchin has been compared to Tibet's Switzerland. However, through the operation of a bullet train to Ningchi, China has increased the ability to quickly deliver its troops to the area. The train, which connects Lhasa, the provincial capital of Tibet, with Ningchi, travels at a speed of 120 km per hour. And it has started 2.50 km single-line electrified railway service.