by admin | May 25, 2021 | World
By Gaurav Sharma,
Beijing : The new-generation much swifter lightweight battle tank, which could easily be deployed in Tibet in the event of a conflict with India, has been handed over to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The Type 15 light tank, which has better mobility than other armoured vehicles, was displayed at an exhibition in Beijing last month on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening up.
The Chinese Defence Ministry has confirmed that the tank has been put into service.
“We have made major achievements in equipment build-up and blazed a path of Chinese characteristics in weapon and equipment development. As for the Type 15 light-weight tank you mentioned, according to my information, it has been equipped to our troops,” said a statement by China’s Defence Ministry’s spokesperson Colonel Wu Qian last week.
According to military experts quoted by the South China Morning Post, the tank will enhance PLA’S combat readiness and it could be quickly deployed in sensitive regions such as Tibet and the plateau border area if a dispute broke out.
Tailor-made for mountainous areas and over rugged terrain, the tank is equipped with a 105mm main gun that can fire armour-piercing rounds and gun-launched missiles.
The Type 15 has an engine capable of 1,000 horsepower and is significantly lighter than the PLA’s other main battle tanks in service, weighing about 32 to 35 tonnes.
China’s Tibet borders Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh which Beijing claims as South Tibet.
In 2017, the militaries of both countries were locked into their worst stand-off in decades with China conducting several live drills in Tibet.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | World
Lhasa : More than 2,100 people were evacuated after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake jolted Xigaze city in Tibet autonomous region early on Monday, authorities said. No casualties were reported.
The earthquake hit Xaitongmoin County at 3.32 a.m. It struck at a depth of 8 km, the China Earthquake Networks Centre was cited as saying by Xinhua news agency.
Investigators found cracks in some rural houses and damage on some livestock sheds in the county, said the county’s Publicity Department.
The local governments prepared tents, quilts, coats and medical supplies for the affected people. Traffic and telecommunications in the region remained undisturbed.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | World
By Gaurav Sharma,
Beijing : China spent $171 million on ecological conservation projects in Tibet in 2017.
In Southwest China, Tibet has several lakes that are the source of major water bodies including the Yangtze river. The autonomous region of China also has rich wildlife.
The projects range from grassland, wetland and wildlife protection to the construction of nature reserves and afforestation., Xinhua news agency said.
In 2009, China introduced a 23-year plan with a total spending of 15.5 billion yuan to boost ecological conservation in the region.
Statistics showed that in 2017, Tibet had 47 nature reserves covering 412,200 sq km or more than one-third of the region’s total territory.
Zhang Tianhua, deputy head of the regional environmental bureau, said the region has set up a special committee for monitoring the environment in Tibet and is cracking down on illegal activities in the nature reserves.
Over the past five years, more than 60 regulations on environmental protection have been introduced in Tibet. Authorities investigated nearly 1,000 cases of environmental breaches.
—IANS
