China’s rapid construction of 628 “Xiaokang” villages along the Line of Actual Control:
India’s Military leadership warned that China’s rapid construction of 628 “Xiaokang” villages along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), particularly the 90% cluster facing Arunachal Pradesh, is a strategic move to solidify territorial claims through civilian settlement.These dual-use villages in contested areas essentially function as permanent, fortified outposts, creating a significant long-term security and sovereignty challenge for India.China is constructing 628 dual-use Xiaokang villages to strengthen territorial claims through “salami-slicing” tactics along the LAC.These settlements facilitate military-civil fusion and constant surveillance, pressuring India’s northeastern borders.Consequently, India is accelerating the Vibrant Villages Programme and Arunachal Frontier Highway to bolster strategic deterrence. Chinese ‘Xiaokang’ Villages refer to a specific category of border settlements constructed or upgraded, primarily in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) along its disputed frontiers.
