China Rejects Pentagon Claims of Undermining US-India Relations

On Thursday, December 25, 2025, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defence issued strongly worded rebuttals to the Pentagon’s annual report on Chinese military power.¹ Beijing accused Washington of “maliciously misinterpreting” its policies and attempting to drive a wedge between China and its neighbors, specifically India.²

Key Points of Contention

The 2025 China Military Power Report (submitted to the US Congress earlier this week) alleged that Beijing is leveraging recent de-escalations on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to blunt India’s strategic alignment with the United States.³

China’s response emphasized three main themes:

• Distortion of Policy: Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated the report “distorts China’s defence policy” and is merely a “pretext for the US to maintain its military supremacy.”⁴
• Bilateral Autonomy: Beijing maintains that the boundary dispute is strictly a matter between China and India.⁵ Lin Jian remarked that China handles ties with New Delhi from a “strategic height and a long-term perspective,” urging external powers to stop making “groundless and irresponsible comments.”⁶
• Discord Sowing: Defence Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang accused the US of year-after-year interference, stating the report is “full of erroneous understandings” and “geopolitical biases.”⁷

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The Pentagon’s Allegations (2025 Report)

The US Department of War’s report highlighted several strategic shifts that have alarmed Washington:⁸

Topic	Pentagon Finding (2025)
India Relations	China seeks to capitalize on the October 2024 disengagement agreement to stabilize ties and prevent a deeper India-US partnership.
Pakistan Base	Beijing is “likely considering” establishing a military logistics facility in Pakistan to expand the PLA’s global reach.
Core Interests	China has expanded its “core interests” to include Arunachal Pradesh, alongside Taiwan and the South China Sea.
Nuclear Growth	China’s nuclear warhead inventory is expanding rapidly, with projections reaching 1,500 by 2035.

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Context: The 2024 Disengagement

The Pentagon report specifically referenced the October 2024 meeting between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the BRICS Summit.⁹ This meeting followed an agreement to disengage from standoff sites along the LAC, leading to:

• Monthly high-level diplomatic engagements.¹⁰
• Discussions on resuming direct flights and visa facilitation.¹¹
• Renewed academic and journalistic exchanges.¹²

While these steps toward normalization are underway, the US report cautions that India remains “skeptical of China’s actions and motives,” suggesting that mutual distrust will continue to limit the relationship’s ceiling.¹³