China reduced deployment of troops along LAC in 2025: MoD report

NEW DELHI: China has reduced the deployment of troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in 2025, a latest report by the defence ministry said.

The ministry mentioned this in its annual report for 2025-26.

"The year 2025 witnessed significant reduction in deployment of People's Liberation Army (PLA) forces opposite Northern Borders, with 10 Combined Arms Brigade size forces each deployed in areas along the LAC and in traditional training areas," it said.

The report said the deployment of the Indian Army in "all sectors along the LAC is robust, well poised and prepared to deal with any emerging contingency."

The relations between India and China had come under severe strain following the deadly Galwan Valley clashes in 2020.

After over four years of frosty ties, the two countries began to repair relations following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Russian city of Kazan in October 2024 that took place after the face-off in eastern Ladakh ended.

Modi and Xi held wide-ranging talks on August 31 last year on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in the Chinese city of Tianjin.

In the last few months, the two sides have taken a series of measures to rebuild their relationship.

Modi and Xi held another meeting on Saturday on the margins of the BRICS summit in New Delhi.

In the meeting, the prime minister conveyed to the Chinese President that peace and tranquillity along the frontier remain an "essential" basis for development of India-China relations, even as the two leaders welcomed "steady progress" in the bilateral ties.

The defence ministry report also made a mention of Operation Sindoor, saying it was not just an operational success but a strategic statement.

"The operation not only showcased our unmatched multi-domain capability, strategic foresight and restraint of our armed forces, but also highlighted India's sustained focus on capability development; from intelligence dominance to cutting-edge technology and joint operational readiness," it said.

"After the operation, India has undertaken a comprehensive review of capability voids with clear focus on force restructuring, enhancing jointness and integrating emerging technologies," it said.