Four months after India and China deescalated a Himalayan border spat, Beijing appears to be ramping up the pressure in another territory disputed by both countries. India considers Arunachal Pradesh, lying east of Bhutan, to be one of its 29 states, but China claims the area as part of southern Tibet. The territory, a key focus of a 1962 war fought between the Asian giants, lies along the Sino-Indian border, which is represented by a demarcation line called the Line of Actual Control.

The India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh BIJU BORO/AFP/Getty Images

In the final days of December, Chinese personnel crossed that line and began road construction in Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Siang district, several Indian media outlets reported this week. The Chinese team had advanced around 1 kilometer and then returned after being confronted by Indian troops, who seized the construction equipment, Press Trust of India and The Indian Express reported on Wednesday. Last year, Chinese construction in another disputed border area — a plateau known as Donglang in China and Doklam in India — resulted in a tense stand-off involving troops from both countries. The confrontation lasted from June until late August and weighed heavily on bilateral ties.