A video circulating on social media claims to show China conducting a massive military build-up near the Arunachal Pradesh border. The 1-minute 34-second clip shows Chinese troops carrying out a live-fire exercise and is being shared as evidence of heightened military activity along the India–China border.
A Facebook user posted the viral post with the following caption:
Why is Narendra Modi and the MEA quiet? 🤫 🤐
China has started a massive military build-up near Arunachal Pradesh.
You can check the post here.
NM VERIFIED
NewsMobile fact-checked the viral post and found the claims to be false.
A search for keyframes from the viral video led to its original source. The same footage was published by China Global Television Network (CGTN), a Chinese state-run media outlet, on November 13, 2025.
In its original post, CGTN stated that the video showed a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) ground force unit conducting a live-fire drill featuring high-tech equipment such as long-endurance drones and robotic dogs. The report noted that the exercise showcased new combat tactics and advanced military technology.
CGTN’s report clearly mentioned that the drill was carried out by a unit of the PLA’s 78th Group Army.
Further examination of PLA command structures shows that the 78th Group Army operates under China’s Northern Theatre Command. The unit is headquartered in Harbin, Heilongjiang province, and is responsible for areas bordering Mongolia, Russia, and North Korea.
Arunachal Pradesh and the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India fall under the PLA’s Western Theatre Command, not the Northern Theatre Command. Chinese state media reports on this drill make no mention of the Western Theatre Command or any location near the India–China border.
Therefore, we can conclude that the viral post, claiming to show China conducting a massive military buildup near the Arunachal Pradesh border, is false.
