Delhi, India: According to a report from the Pentagon, China has issued a warning to the United States not to interfere in its relationship with India following deadly border clashes in 2020 between the Asian giants.
Since the deadliest border clashes in 45 years, 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers, ties between India and China have deteriorated. Despite India’s increased imports from China, troop deployment on their Himalayan border has remained high.
Along with the United States, Japan, and Australia, India is a member of the so-called Quad alliance, which aims to limit China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific.
In a report to Congress that was released on Tuesday, the US Department of Defense stated that in reference to the People’s Republic of China, “Throughout the standoff, PRC officials sought to downplay the severity of the crisis, emphasizing Beijing’s intent to preserve border stability and prevent the standoff from harming other areas of its bilateral relationship with India.”
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“The PRC wants to make sure that border tensions don’t cause India to work with the United States more closely.US officials have been urged not to interfere with the PRC’s relationship with India by PRC officials.”
During a daily news conference on Wednesday, the spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, Zhao Lijian, did not discuss the Pentagon report. However, he stated that this month’s joint US-Indian military exercises in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, close to the Chinese border, were “not conducive to the trust between India and China.”
China was able to “advance its interests” by playing down its military stand on its Himalayan frontier while shielding other aspects of its relationship with India, according to New Delhi-based defense and strategic affairs analyst Brahma Chellaney.
He tweeted, “Downplaying its aggression, ironically, also aids India’s efforts to save face,” referring to India’s internal criticism of China’s response.
