India sees Pakistan as side character, China as 'primary adversary': US Report

India views China as its 'primary adversary' and regards Pakistan as an 'ancillary security problem to be managed', according to the United States Defence Intelligence Agency’s Worldwide Threat Assessment 2025.

The report, released days after cross-border clashes between the two neighbouring nations in early May, outlines the shifting defence priorities of the Indian government during the rising regional tensions.

"India views China as its primary adversary and Pakistan more an ancillary security problem to be managed, despite cross-border attacks in mid-May by both India’s and Pakistan’s militaries", the report said.

Main Report

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s defence priorities will probably focus on demonstrating global leadership, countering China, and enhancing New Delhi’s military power,” the report added.

Despite a military confrontation between India and Pakistan in mid-May, the DIA noted in their report that India’s strategic focus remains fixed on China. It further referenced India’s continuing investment in the modernisation of it's military, highlighting the testing of the nuclear-capable Agni-I Prime medium-range ballistic missile, the Agni-V MIRV (multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle), as well as it's second commissioning of a second nuclear-powered submarine to reinforce its nuclear triad and 'bolster its ability to deter adversaries'.

India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which was carried out under 'Operation Sindoor', led to days of hostilities involving artillery, missiles and drones between 7 and 10 May. “Following a late April terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, New Delhi conducted missile strikes on terrorism-related infrastructure facilities in Pakistan,” the report said. A ceasefire was in place as of 10 May.

Contrary to the observations about India, the report noted that Islamabad continues to regard India as an 'existential threat' and is focusing on developing battlefield nuclear weapons to offset India’s conventional military advantage.

India's focus on bilateral cooperation

The assessment also highlighted India’s growing defence diplomacy in the Indo-Pacific region, which includes bilateral cooperation, multilateral engagement in groups such as the ASEAN, Quad, BRICS, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and continued promotion of its 'Made in India' initiative to develop a self-reliant domestic defence sector aimed at modernising the military.

While both, India and China reached an agreement in October 2024 on disengagement in Depsang and Demchok, the DIA noted the fundamental border dispute remains unresolved.