BEIJING, Dec 25 — China on Thursday strongly rejected a Pentagon report accusing Beijing of exploiting reduced border tensions with India to undermine US-India relations while expanding defence cooperation with Pakistan.
“The Pentagon’s report distorts China’s defence policy, sows discord between China and other countries, and aims at finding a pretext for the US to maintain its military supremacy,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a media briefing. “China firmly opposes the report.”
Separately, Defence Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang criticised the annual US report, which also highlighted Beijing-Pakistan cooperation in defence and space, including the possibility of a military base. “The US report maliciously misinterpreted China’s national defence policy, made unfounded speculations, and smeared the normal actions of the Chinese military,” Zhang said.
He added that the report “exaggerates the so-called Chinese military threat” and urged Washington to stop “fabricating false narratives and provoking confrontation.”
On India-China ties, Lin said Beijing handles relations with New Delhi from a “strategic height and a long-term perspective.” He called for strengthened communication and cooperation, noting that “the current border situation between the two countries is generally stable with smooth communication channels.”
The Pentagon’s report, submitted to Congress on Tuesday, suggested China may be seeking to capitalise on easing LAC tensions with India to prevent closer US-India defence ties. It cited the October 2024 Xi-Modi meeting during the BRICS summit and referenced planned monthly high-level engagements to discuss border management, visa facilitation, and academic exchanges.
