China slams US report suggesting border easing aimed at India-US ties

China on Thursday (December 25) accused the United States of misrepresenting Beijing’s defence stance, saying Washington was attempting to interfere in improving ties between China and India. Responding to a question at a regular press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian dismissed suggestions that Beijing could use the recent easing of border tensions with India to block closer India–US relations. Lin said China approaches its relationship with India from a long-term strategic standpoint and stressed that the boundary dispute is a bilateral matter. “We oppose any third party making judgments on this issue,” he added.

The statement came after the Pentagon, in a report released earlier this week, claimed that China may try to leverage reduced tensions along the disputed border to stabilise relations with India and prevent a further strengthening of India–US ties. The US Department of Defense’s annual report to Congress, titled Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China and released on December 23, described India–China relations as fragile despite recent diplomatic engagement. The report said Beijing “probably seeks to capitalise on decreased tension along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)” to manage ties with New Delhi, while noting that India remains wary of China’s intentions due to long-standing mistrust.

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The report referred to an important development in October 2024, when India and China agreed to disengage from several standoff points along the LAC. This understanding was announced shortly before President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan.

According to the Pentagon, the Xi–Modi interaction triggered a phase of regular high-level dialogue, including talks on border management, resumption of direct flights, visa facilitation, and exchanges involving scholars and journalists. However, the report cautioned that major irritants continue to constrain the relationship, pointing out that China considers Taiwan, the South China Sea, the Senkaku Islands, and Arunachal Pradesh as “core interests” linked to sovereignty.

The assessment also highlighted China’s expanding military cooperation with Pakistan. Beijing has supplied Islamabad with advanced military hardware over the past decade, including naval frigates and combat aircraft. China currently offers three fighter jets for export, the fifth-generation FC-31, the fourth-generation J-10C multirole fighter, and the jointly developed JF-17 lightweight fighter produced with Pakistan.