Pentagon Cautions India: China’s Strategy Arunachal Pradesh

A recent Pentagon Report on China & Arunachal Pradesh, submitted to the US Congress, has raised significant geopolitical concerns by categorising the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh among Beijing’s top “core interests” — placing it in the same strategic bracket as Taiwan and major maritime disputes across Asia. This classification signals a deeper shift in China’s long-term national strategy as it seeks to achieve what it calls the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” by 2049.

According to the Pentagon report, Chinese leadership has intentionally broadened its definition of national priorities. Along with Taiwan, South China Sea claims, and the Senkaku Islands, Arunachal Pradesh has now been spotlighted as a crucial component of China’s territorial ambitions. The report underscores that Chinese officials consider reunification and consolidation of contested regions a “natural requirement” for achieving national rejuvenation.

Pentagon: China’s Strategic Vision for 2049

Under Beijing’s vision, a future rejuvenated nation would operate as a dominant world power while fielding a “world-class” military capable of conducting global operations to “fight and win.” This strategic blueprint includes unwavering protection of sovereignty, security, and territorial gains. The Pentagon Report on China Arunachal Pradesh makes clear that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) views criticism — internal or external — as a disruptive threat challenging its legitimacy.

India–China Dynamics Post-October 2024

The Pentagon review highlights that Indo-China relations entered a cautious reset when New Delhi announced an agreement to disengage from remaining standoff points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in October 2024 — an announcement made just 48 hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Xi Jinping at the BRICS Summit.

That engagement paved the way for monthly high-level diplomatic dialogues, expanding to include visa facilitation, academic exchanges, border management mechanisms, and conversations on the resumption of direct passenger flights. The report, however, tempers expectations — stating India remains understandably cautious given historical mistrust and is unlikely to shift closer to China at the cost of relations with the United States.

China, meanwhile, is reportedly attempting to stabilise relations along the LAC to prevent India–US ties from deepening strategically.

Pentagon: Beijing’s Growing Strategic Embrace of Pakistan

Another critical section of the Pentagon Report on China & Arunachal Pradesh outlines how China continues to strengthen defense and intelligence cooperation with Pakistan — a partnership that has far-reaching implications for South Asian security.

Highlights of the collaboration include:

• Continued co-production of JF-17 fighter jets

• Pakistan as the only purchaser of China’s J-10 combat aircraft

• Supply of armed drones to Pakistan and multiple regional nations

• Naval cooperation through Pakistan’s $3 billion acquisition of eight Yuan-class submarines

• Consideration of Pakistan as a potential location for future PLA military logistics facilities, similar to its overseas base in Djibouti

The Pentagon report also points to a 2020 China–Pakistan intelligence agreement expanding counterterrorism cooperation across Afghanistan and Pakistani territories, with a specific focus on suppressing Uyghur-linked militant groups.