China law tightens land borders amid regional tensions - Nikkei Asia
BEIJING -- China’s top legislative body on Saturday passed a law to strengthen the country's land borders amid rising tensions with India over disputed territory and concerns over a possible influx of Islamic extremists from Afghanistan.
The move comes as authorities look to prevent border incidents flaring in the run up to a once-every-five-years congress in the fall of 2022 to decide the Communist Party's top leadership.
Under the new law, the People's Armed Police Force and the Public Security Bureau, which are in charge of maintaining public order in China, can be mobilized to guard borders in addition to the People's Liberation Army. The forces will look to handle serious incidents, terrorism and illegal crossings in border regions.
The law also stipulates that weapons can be used against people illegally crossing borders if they engage in violence, as well as banning the use of drones and model airplanes near borders without permission.
The law, passed by National People's Congress Standing Committee, specifies that infrastructure facilities for transport, communication, surveillance and defense can be built on the Chinese side of its borders. It also stipulates that no organization or individual can build durable structures near borders without China's approval.
A provision on the protection of water resources is believed to have been made with India in mind. The law states that the national and local governments are obliged to take measures to protect the stability of transboundary rivers and lakes.
The Brahmaputra River, which has its source in China's Tibet Autonomous Region, is a valuable water supply for India. It is believed that China's government is flirting with the possibility of limiting the volume of water during conflicts, citing "protection and reasonable use" as stipulated in the law.
Afghanistan remains unstable after the Taliban seized power, with Beijing concerned Islamic extremists could enter the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to link up with local forces. The new law will help monitor people trying to get into China directly from Afghanistan as well as via countries such as Tajikistan.
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source: https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/China-law-tightens-land-borders-amid-regional-tensions
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