The Qinghai-Tibet Railway (QTR) was opened to unmanned trial operations on 1 May 2006 and China became the proud owner of the highest railway line in the world, overtaking Peru. Built on the 'Roof of the World' and zigzagging across 5,000-metres high mountain ranges and a 550-km long frozen belt, the QTR is the first railway in Tibet, aiming at building a closer tie between the plateau with other parts of China. Passenger traffic will commence on this route from 1 July 2006 and Tibet's integration with China will be complete.

The QTR has been completed well before the scheduled time in 2007. Since the project started in June 2001, the Chinese leadership gave it a national priority and mobilized all financial and manpower resources. Now, a journey from Beijing to Lhasa will take 48 hours. Lhasa is also being connected to other important cities such as Shanghai, Chengdu, Xining and Guangzhou. In due course, the QTR will be further extended from Lhasa to Xigaze city in the southwestern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).

The QTR is just one example of China's resolve to consolidate its reach in Tibet. China is also opening another airport at Nyingcchi, apart from modernising Lhasa's Gongga Airport. The frontier zone along with Nepal and India is getting all-weather roads. China is also working on over 100 major infrastructure projects that will consolidate Tibet's political, economic and strategic ties with Beijing.

The business community in India must be elated. Opening of Tibet means restoring old commercial ties between Tibet and India that existed before 1962. Already, there exists a demand for starting a Lhasa-Gangtok bus service on the lines of the Lhasa-Kathmandu bus. The Nathula Pass may open soon for bilateral trade and provide Tibet with access to the Bay of Bengal. The Stillwell Road in India's northeast is being rebuilt to connect with Yunnan. There was even a suggestion by a high-level Chinese officer to extend an international railway line from Lhasa to India via Yunnan.

While China's recent initiatives in Tibet do provide business opportunity, the strategic challenges must not be overlooked. The Chinese investment in infrastructure development in India-China border areas, coupled with a sustained double digit growth in its defence budget and its military modernisation constitute a security challenge. Imagine a scenario where China penetrates a Maoist-led Nepal and makes deep inroads into the Indo-Gangetic plains. The infrastructure in North India, particularly in Bihar, is too poor to solicit an early response from the army corps based in West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.

In fact, poor infrastructure is an impediment towards an effective deterrence against China. Unlike its north-to-south connectivity, India's west-to-east connectivity is very poor. The Grand Chord Railway line is choked. Alternatively, there are no direct line crisscrossing the frontier areas through UP and Bihar and reaching Assam. The situation in the northeast is also bleak. Not only are the railways under-developed, roads are yet to be constructed at many places and the existing roads are in a pathetic state. Given the riverine topography, movement of men and materials are costly and time consuming. The shifting channels of Lohit and other rivers, often on a day-to-day basis, hamper movement. During his army attachment as probationer, this author saw how supplies to some frontier posts could not be made due to bad weather and poor transport links.

In a bid to promote trade links and develop infrastructure along the border, India has recently announced a proposal to build a 608 kms road along the border. The road link will include areas from Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. The road is expected to cost Rs 900 crore. A project to extend the Udhampur Railway line to Srinagar will also commence shortly. However, there is a need to conceive a comprehensive plan weaving a network of roads and railways. Many locations in the above states can be connected by railways if engineering lessons from QTR are utilized.

There are sound reasons why India needs to invest heavily in developing infrastructure and transport links along the Sino-Indian border. First, China has the benefit of heights, easy acclimatisation, and superior airlift capabilities along the border. Its recent initiatives will only supplement its power projection in the region. Second, the border talks are in a crucial stage. Any gaps in its military muscle will make India vulnerable to Chinese pressure tactics and blackmail. Third, economic, political and strategic benefits of developing infrastructure will be immense.

The Chinese advances in border management are a lesson for studying our own gaps in the area. The inauguration of QTR provides an opportunity to redress the same. Such steps will take care of India's security concerns and boost its business and trade links with China.

Views expressed are author's own and does not reflect that of his organization