# China reduces 10 PLA brigades along LAC in 2025, Defence Ministry says 2026-09-14T08:29:09+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 4 independent outlets China has significantly reduced its military deployment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in 2025, with 10 combined-arms brigades of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) withdrawn from areas opposite India's northern borders, according to the Defence Ministry's Annual Report 2025-26. The report, uploaded to the ministry's website last week, states that the reduction followed heightened diplomatic and military engagement between the two countries, including meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination in March and July 2025. The ministry noted that the Indian Army maintained a "robust, well-poised" deployment across all LAC sectors and remains prepared for any contingency. India has consistently demanded a reduction in Chinese troop presence along the LAC since the military standoff began in eastern Ladakh in 2020. While describing the reduction as significant, India TV reported that the Defence Ministry assessment also states that the military threat from the PLA remains. The development comes ahead of a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on Saturday, their first in-person talks in seven years. ## Indian Opinion Analysis All four sources report the Defence Ministry's finding of reduced PLA deployment as a factual development, with none taking a government-critical stance. Times Now and ABP Live frame the reduction as a direct outcome of sustained talks and India's demand, implicitly crediting Indian diplomacy. India TV adds the caveat that the threat remains, providing a more cautious read. NDTV's brief report omits the caveat entirely. The balanced takeaway is that while the pullback of 10 brigades is a material step, the ministry's own assessment that the threat endures suggests the process of normalisation along the LAC remains incomplete. The Modi-Xi bilateral on Saturday will test whether political-level engagement can sustain this momentum. The tribunal hears the appeal on 12 September. ## Coverage - news.abplive.com (pro government) Frames reduction as India's demand being accepted, credits Indian push - timesnownews.com (neutral report) Leads with ministry statement, includes both sides' engagement details - ndtv.com (neutral report) Brief factual report of ministry finding, no commentary - indiatvnews.com (neutral report) Leads with reduction but adds caveat that threat remains Tags: China, LAC, Ministry of Defence, Narendra Modi, PLA, Xi Jinping Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/china-reduces-pla-deployment-along-lac-in-2025-says-defence-ministry/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/china-reduces-pla-deployment-along-lac-in-2025-says-defence-ministry/#story-in-brief