India says China has scaled back troop numbers along their border

NEW DELHI — India’s Defense Ministry said that China significantly reduced troop deployment along the border with India in 2025 as increased political, diplomatic and military engagement helped ease tensions between the two Asian powers.

Both countries had amassed tens of thousands of troops along their poorly demarcated Himalayan border following a deadly clash in 2020.

“The year 2025 witnessed significant reduction in deployment of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Force opposite Northern Borders, with 10 Combined Arms Brigade size forces each deployed in areas along the LAC and in traditional training areas,” the Defense Ministry stated in its annual report for 2025-26 released Monday.

The LAC or Line of Actual Control refers to the roughly 3,500 kilometers long Indo-Chinese frontier in the Himalayas. Much of the boundary remains disputed.

The report said that bilateral interactions at political, diplomatic and military levels had facilitated “positive developments along the northern border, leading to stability.”

However the Defense Ministry did not provide figures for Indian troop deployments along the Indo-Chinese border but said that the Indian Army’s deployment “in all sectors” along the LAC remained “robust, well poised, and prepared to deal with any emerging contingency.”

The report also highlighted India’s accelerated construction of tunnels, roads and other all-weather infrastructure in the Himalayas, which it said is critical for the rapid movement of troops, equipment and supplies.

Analysts point out that China has similarly expanded infrastructure on its side of the border in recent years, suggesting that even as troop deployment eases, long-term military readiness remains a priority for both sides along their border.

“Maintaining a strong dissuasive posture and preparedness along the borders is an imperative. We cannot scale down our defenses irrespective of troop numbers,” said retired Brigadier Arun Sahgal, who directs the Forum for Strategic Initiatives in New Delhi.

The report comes amid a broader thaw in India-China relations. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited New Delhi for the annual BRICS summit last week, his first trip to India in seven years. The visit marked another step in efforts by the two countries to stabilize relations after years of tensions triggered by the 2020 border clash.

After a meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the summit, Xi said China viewed India-China relations from a “strategic and long-term perspective” and called on the two countries to support one another and pursue common development. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said peace and tranquility along the disputed border were essential to the continued development of bilateral ties.

India’s foreign ministry said that “the two leaders expressed commitment to a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question.”

Tensions between India and China began to ease after Xi and Modi met in Russia in October 2024 leading to an agreement that helped end the military standoff in eastern Ladakh.

新德里——印度国防部表示，随着政治、外交和军事接触的增加，中印两国之间的紧张关系有所缓解，中国在2025年大幅减少了在印中边境的驻军。

2020 年发生致命冲突后，两国在划定不清的喜马拉雅边界沿线集结了数万军队。

国防部在周一发布的 2025-26 年度报告中指出：“2025 年，中国人民解放军在北部边境对面的部署将大幅减少，届时将有 10 个合成旅规模的部队分别部署在实际控制线沿线地区和传统训练区。”

实际控制线（LAC）指的是喜马拉雅山脉中印边境线，全长约3500公里。这条边界的大部分地区仍存在争议。

报告称，双边在政治、外交和军事层面的互动促进了“北部边境的积极发展，从而带来了稳定”。

然而，国防部没有提供印度军队在中印边境的部署数字，但表示印度军队在实际控制线沿线“所有区域”的部署仍然“强大、准备充分，并已做好应对任何突发事件的准备”。

该报告还重点介绍了印度在喜马拉雅山脉加快建设隧道、道路和其他全天候基础设施的情况，报告称这对于部队、装备和物资的快速调动至关重要。

分析人士指出，近年来中国也在其边境一侧扩大了基础设施建设，这表明即使军队部署有所放松，长期军事准备仍然是中印边境双方的优先事项。

“保持边境地区强有力的威慑姿态和战备状态至关重要。无论兵力多少，我们都不能降低防御力度，”新德里战略倡议论坛主任、退役准将阿伦·萨加尔表示。

这份报告发布之际，正值印中关系整体缓和之时。中国国家主席习近平上周访问新德里，出席金砖国家峰会，这是他七年来首次访问印度。此次访问标志着两国为稳定关系所做的努力又向前迈进了一步，此前，由于2020年的边境冲突，两国关系经历了多年的紧张状态。

在峰会间隙，中印两国领导人会晤后，习近平表示，中方从“战略和长远角度”看待中印关系，呼吁两国相互支持，共同发展。印度总理莫迪表示，争议边界地区的和平与安宁对于双边关系的持续发展至关重要。

印度外交部表示，“两国领导人表示致力于以公平、合理和双方都能接受的方式解决边界问题。”

2024年10月，习近平和莫迪在俄罗斯会晤，印中之间的紧张局势开始缓和，双方达成协议，结束了拉达克东部的军事对峙。