NEW DELHI- China has constructed hundreds of so-called “Xiaokang” or “well-off” villages along its border areas facing India, particularly opposite Arunachal Pradesh, according to senior officials of the Indian Army. The development has raised strategic concerns regarding the evolving security dynamics along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy), highlighted the issue during a seminar organised by the Assam Rifles in collaboration with the United Service Institution (USI) in New Delhi. The seminar examined emerging security challenges in India’s Northeast region.

According to the Army, China has built around 628 Xiaokang villages along its northern borders over the last two decades. Of these, approximately 72 percent — nearly 450 villages — are located across from India’s northeastern states.

China is constructing hundreds of “Xiaokang” (moderately prosperous) dual-use villages along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to solidify territorial claims, enhance surveillance, and support military logistics. These settlements, often placed in contested areas, serve as civilian-military, fortified outposts to reinforce China’s sovereignty claims and create a, permanent,, controlled population. ChinaPower Project +2

Key Reasons for Construction:

• Solidifying Territorial Claims: These villages, often built in disputed border regions, allow China to use “salami-slicing” tactics to alter the status quo and justify their claims by creating “settled populations”.
• Dual-Use Infrastructure: The villages are designed for both civilian habitation and rapid military deployment, enabling them to function as cantonments for patrolling troops.
• Military-Civil Fusion: By moving citizens from inner provinces to the border, China aims to maintain a constant civilian presence that supports military operations, provides intelligence, and improves logistical support.
• Strengthening Border Defense: These “border defense villages” help in managing the security of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and managing the borderlands more tightly.
• Countering India: The villages often mirror increased Indian infrastructure development, particularly near Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, aiming to counter India’s presence directly. The Indian Express +6

These initiatives are part of a broader strategy to assert dominance in the region and increase pressure on India along the entire border.