Some experts think Beijing wants to bring Buddhist holy sites, like Tawang, under its control to cement its authority over Tibet. When the current Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959, he reached Tawang first after crossing mountains by foot.

Tawang, home to India’s largest Buddhist monastery, has been claimed by China as part of its ‘Southern Tibet.’ The region remains a hotspot for India-China tensions, with recent clashes near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) underscoring ongoing border disputes