The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has equipped border outposts in the high-altitude regions of China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region with oxygen equipment to combat hypoxia and altitude sickness among military personnel.

Referred to as a “20km oxygen supply zone,” this initiative includes oxygen-producing cabins, oxygen pressure chambers, and portable oxygen tanks or personal oxygen generators. For instance, a ground force regiment in Hotan, stationed at an altitude of 5,000 meters on the Karakoram Plateau, faces an oxygen shortage of around 40%.

The Hotan Military sub-command of the PLA Xinjiang Military Command has implemented oxygen therapy chambers that can accommodate eight border guards at a time. These chambers provide oxygen at normal or slightly elevated atmospheric pressure, helping to alleviate the adverse effects of hypoxia and low air pressure in mountainous areas.

China plans to expand the deployment of this oxygen equipment, including small generators and personal oxygen supply devices for high-altitude use, while continuing to enhance oxygen production and supply technology. In recent years, high-altitude frontier defense posts have been increasingly equipped with oxygen production cabins, pressurized oxygen chambers, and portable oxygen cylinders to better support soldiers stationed in these challenging environments by both PLA’s grounds forces and Indian Armed forces.

Supplying oxygen and creating such zones could be China’s way of making postings to high altitudes more attractive to PLA soldiers.