Pentagon report reveals China’s warning to the US about ‘interfering’ in India ties

CHINA has warned the United States to not interfere in its relationship with India following deadly border skirmishes between the Asian giants in 2020, the Pentagon said in a report.

Ties between India and China have been strained since the worst border clashes between

them in 45 years killed 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers. Deployment of troops has remained high on their Himalayan border since then, though India’s imports from China have surged.

India is part of the so-called Quad alliance with the US, Japan and Australia that aims to keep China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region in check.

“Throughout the stand-off, PRC officials sought to downplay the severity of the crisis, emphasising Beijing’s intent to preserve border stability and prevent the stand-off from harming other areas of its bilateral relationship with India,” the US Department of Defense said in a report to Congress that was released last

Tuesday (29), referring to the People’s Republic of China.

“PRC officials have warned US officials to not interfere with the PRC’s relationship with India.”

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian did not mention the Pentagon report during a daily news conference last Wednesday (30). He said, however, that November’s US-Indian joint military exercises not far from the Chinese border, in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand, were “not conducive to the trust between India and China”.

Brahma Chellaney, a defence and strategic affairs analyst in New Delhi, said China was able to “advance its interests” by playing down its military stand on its Himalayan frontier while shielding other areas of its relationship with India.

“Downplaying its aggression, ironically, also aids India’s efforts to save face,” he said on Twitter, referring to criticism within India about its response to China.