By Jeffrey A. Newman Esq. based in part on information in an excellent article in today’s Wall street Journal https://www.wsj.com/world/china/chinese-forces-battle-dizzying-altitudes-to-expand-military-footprint-c9350bbd?mod=hp_lead_pos10
There is an important article in today’s Wall Street Journal which is based on the WSJ’s staff review of more than 100 satellite images from BlackSky. BlackSky is a real-time space based intelligence company using AI to detect planes and other systems. The findings, revealed in this article may be some of the most important indicators of China’s ambitions to become the world’s leading nation in the next several decades. The incredible well researched analysis reveals that China has constructed at least 8 airports in the Tibetin plateau and along the contested border with India and they are designed to support military operations. China’s authorities say these airports were built to connect remote populations. They are all built at very high altitutudes, some more than 14,100 feet above sea level. That one is on the Tibetan plateau that reaches Mount Everest and is so high that the Chinese engineers and crews experience shortness of breath and headaches. They must endure icy winds, dizziness and nosebleeds and carry oxygen cylinders.
Importantly, the location above China where the airports have been constructed have been the location of prior military confrontations between China and India, one of which occurring in the 1970’s resulted in 89 deaths. According to the WSJ article, these airports will allow China to send in toops weapons and other equipment intot he area, including jet fighters to control the airspace in that region. Some alerady have planes on the ground.Satellite images also revealed a variety of drones, including the high-altitude Soaring Dragon and WZ-10, as well as the cutting-edge Sharp Sword.
It may be possible that this information could help rebuild U.S. relations with India. For example,its possible that this buildup may foment a U.S.–India defense collaboration that could include intelligence sharing. However, if these airports are really more defensive assertions of terrirorial claims, this could be an opportunity to help relations between China and the United States. This would be the case if the airfields help to stabilize the region and the relationship between China and India.
The Wall Street Journal deserves credit for its reporting on this sensitive information. Here is the URL of the article again https://www.wsj.com/world/china/chinese-forces-battle-dizzying-altitudes-to-expand-military-footprint-c9350bbd?mod=hp_lead_pos10
Jeffrey Newman is a whistleblower lawyer, whose law firm represents whistleblowers revealing violations of export controls, tariff evasions, money laundering, healthcare fraud and other kinds of WB cases. The firm represents individuals both in the United States and other countries. Mr. Newman and his firm also represent physicians and other healthcare providers who become whistleblowers in healthcare fraud cases. Whistleblower laws in the U.S. allow individuals anywhere with information about export control violations or tariff fraud to reveal the information under The False Claims act or through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Whistleblower Program. The Firm’s website is at www.JeffNewmanLaw.com and attorney Newman can be reached at Jeff@Jeffnewmanlaw.com or at 978-880-4758
