China Builds Border Villages Near Arunachal Pradesh Frontier

Itanagar: China is moving thousands of people into border villages near the Line of Actual Control opposite Arunachal Pradesh. The strategy threatens to permanently shift the region's demographic makeup. Lieutenant General Abhay Krishna, a retired commander of three Indian Army commands, authored the warning. He claims Beijing uses civilian resettlement to strengthen military logistics and administrative control.

Data shows 241,835 residents are now covered under the Tibet Autonomous Region's border-village program. Plans exist to move tens of thousands more across 628 frontier villages. Nearly 72 percent of these Xiaokang villages sit near the Indian border. A full 90 percent of those settlements directly face Arunachal Pradesh.

These sites function as surveillance points and communication centers. The report states: "Establishing populated settlements close to the LAC could help China consolidate administrative control, improve connectivity and strengthen its ability to support military operations in the region."

New roads and infrastructure built for these civilians provide clear military advantages. They allow for faster supply lines in sensitive zones. Krishna warns this creates a long-term risk to the identity of younger generations in Arunachal Pradesh. He urged the Indian government to prioritize its own border villages in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Ladakh. The Centre must provide dedicated funding, electricity, and reliable roads to secure these remote areas.