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<PublisherName>ejsss</PublisherName>
<JournalTitle>ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES</JournalTitle>
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<EISSN/>
<Volume-Issue>Volume 7 Issue 2</Volume-Issue>
<PartNumber/>
<IssueTopic>Multidisciplinary</IssueTopic>
<IssueLanguage>English</IssueLanguage>
<Season>Aug-Sep 2026</Season>
<SpecialIssue>N</SpecialIssue>
<SupplementaryIssue>N</SupplementaryIssue>
<IssueOA>Y</IssueOA>
<PubDate>
<Year>2026</Year>
<Month>09</Month>
<Day>30</Day>
</PubDate>
<ArticleType>Strategic Studies</ArticleType>
<ArticleTitle>Ladakh as a Strategic Corridor: A Future for Himalayan Geopolitics</ArticleTitle>
<SubTitle/>
<ArticleLanguage>English</ArticleLanguage>
<ArticleOA>Y</ArticleOA>
<FirstPage>262</FirstPage>
<LastPage>278</LastPage>
<AuthorList>
<Author>
<FirstName>Dr Tsultim</FirstName>
<LastName>Zangmo</LastName>
<AuthorLanguage>English</AuthorLanguage>
<Affiliation/>
<CorrespondingAuthor>N</CorrespondingAuthor>
<ORCID/>
<FirstName>Dr Vivash Ranjan</FirstName>
<LastName>Singh</LastName>
<AuthorLanguage>English</AuthorLanguage>
<Affiliation/>
<CorrespondingAuthor>Y</CorrespondingAuthor>
<ORCID/>
</Author>
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<DOI>10.47362/EJSSS.2026.7201</DOI>
<Abstract>Ladakh__ampersandsignrsquo;s geopolitical significance has grown considerably since the partitioning disputes with Pakistan and China in the 1940s and 1960s, respectively and has been further intensified by the abrogation of Article 370, frequent border clashes in 2020 and China__ampersandsignrsquo;s accelerating infrastructural development under China__ampersandsignrsquo;s Belt and Road Initiative. Ladakh shares borders with China__ampersandsignrsquo;s Tibet Autonomous Region to the east and Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan to the west and is near the disputed regions of Aksai Chin and the Siachen Glacier, making Ladakh a unique position in Asian geopolitics. Ladakh__ampersandsignrsquo;s proximity to the CPEC, a flagship project of the BRI that stretches to a 2700 km route that passes through PoK, has raised significant concerns about the potential for increased Chinese influence and encroachment on Indian sovereignty. The military standoff in 2020 further highlights the strategic importance of Ladakh in India__ampersandsignrsquo;s national security. This paper argues that Ladakh constitutes India__ampersandsignrsquo;s most crucial strategic location, functioning as an intelligence platform, military buffer and infrastructural frontier to counter China__ampersandsignrsquo;s hegemony in the Himalayan corridor under China__ampersandsignrsquo;s new initiatives like NSR. This paper analyses India__ampersandsignrsquo;s strategic response to China__ampersandsignrsquo;s growing assertiveness in the eastern region of Ladakh over the past six years, arguing that India__ampersandsignrsquo;s military, surveillance and infrastructural development in the region create coherent countermeasures against China__ampersandsignrsquo;s expansionist policy. The findings suggest that India has made significant progress in the region; however, a substantial infrastructure gap still exists as compared to China, which requires sustained investment and a strategic approach.</Abstract>
<AbstractLanguage>English</AbstractLanguage>
<Keywords>Ladakh,China,New Silk Route,Himalayan Geopolitics,Sino-India Relations</Keywords>
<URLs>
<Abstract>https://ejsss.net.in/ubijournal-v1copy/journals/abstract.php?article_id=16388&title=Ladakh as a Strategic Corridor: A Future for Himalayan Geopolitics</Abstract>
</URLs>
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