01 March 2021

China builds training facility for PLA border defence troops in Tibet at 5,371 m above sea level

by Gabriel Dominguez

China has built a new training facility for People’s Liberation Army (PLA) border defence troops in Tibet.

State-owned broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) reported on 26 February that the approximately 1,000 m² facility, which is also fitted with solar panels to meet its energy needs, was built at an altitude of 5,371 m above sea level.

A screengrab from CCTV footage released on 26 February showing the new training facility erected for PLA border defence troops in Tibet at an altitude of 5,371 m above sea level. (CCTV )

The report did not reveal where exactly the facility is located, but it seems to be aimed at allowing soldiers to both train and stay close to the border with India in the Himalayas amid heightened tensions between China and India over a border dispute in the region.

The facility, which during winter maintains an indoor temperature of about 10°C, provides soldiers with a training, cooking, and dining areas and is equipped with, among other things, mobile hyperbaric oxygen chambers and portable oxygen devices, according to CCTV.

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