Chinese Nationals Move Into 'Defence Villages' Built Across India's Northeastern Borders: Report

Chinese nationals have reportedly begun occupying multiple "Xiaokang" model border defense villages along India's northeastern borders, which the country has been constructing along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) since 2019.

In the last few months, Chinese nationals have started occupying a couple of these villages built on its side of the LAC across from Lohit Valley and the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh, Indian Express reported citing senior officials familiar with the matter.

China has been engaged in the construction of 628 "well-off villages" along India's borders with the Tibet Autonomous Region, including regions like Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, for over five years.

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While the precise purpose of these villages remains unclear, they are believed to serve as "dual-use infrastructure" for both civilian and military activities, representing a Chinese assertion of territorial claims along the LAC, thereby raising concerns for the Indian military.

So far, the two-storey, spacious buildings within these villages along the LAC were vacant. However, in recent months, Chinese nationals have begun to move in, with uncertainty surrounding whether these occupants are civilians or military personnel.

China continues to enhance its infrastructure along the LAC bordering the northeast, despite its considerable distance from most inhabited areas or areas of strategic importance, except for Tawang and the Siliguri Corridor, IE reported citing sources.

“They (the Chinese) have built sufficient infrastructure along the LAC at Tawang, but they are not stopping at that. Even in other areas such as Siang valley of Arunachal Pradesh, we have been seeing rapid development of Chinese infrastructure,” an official was quoted as saying in the IE report.

Additionally, China has been engaged in infrastructure development, including the construction of border villages, within Bhutanese territory.

In parallel, India has intensified its efforts to bolster border infrastructure over the past three to four years, focusing on improving forward connectivity and constructing alternative routes to the LAC.

This includes plans under the Vibrant Villages program to transform 663 border villages into modern settlements with comprehensive amenities, with 17 villages along the borders with China selected for development as pilot projects.

In Arunachal Pradesh, specific villages in the eastern part of the state and in the Tawang region, such as Zemithang, Taksing, Chayang Tajo, Tuting, and Kibithu, have been identified for development.

Additionally, major highways, including the Trans-Arunachal Highway, the Frontier Highway, and the East-West Industrial Corridor Highway, are under construction, with plans to enhance connectivity to Tawang through the construction of alternate axes.

Efforts are also underway to improve connectivity to passes, establish inter-valley connections, and construct helipads and advanced landing grounds across various locations in Arunachal Pradesh.

However, due to the challenging terrain and unpredictable weather, construction progress is expected to be gradual.

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