The Aryavarth Express
Washington, DC:
A Pentagon report submitted to the US Congress has highlighted China’s claim over India’s Arunachal Pradesh as part of its stated “core interests,” reflecting Beijing’s broader national strategy aimed at achieving the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” by 2049.
According to the report, China’s leadership has expanded the definition of its core interests to include Taiwan, sovereignty and maritime claims in the South China Sea, the Senkaku Islands, and India’s northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. Chinese officials have repeatedly described the unification of contested territories—particularly Taiwan—as a “natural requirement” for national rejuvenation.
The report states that under this strategic vision, a rejuvenated China seeks to operate at a new global level with a “world-class” military capable of “fighting and winning” wars, while firmly safeguarding its sovereignty, security, and development interests.
It outlines three core interests that Beijing considers non-negotiable: maintaining the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), promoting sustained economic development, and defending and expanding China’s sovereignty and territorial claims.
The assessment notes that the CCP remains highly sensitive to both internal and external challenges to its authority, including criticism that it is failing to protect Chinese interests. To reinforce party control, the CCP labels dissenting political voices in Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Tibet, as well as Taiwan’s political leadership, as separatist forces allegedly influenced by “external powers.”
On India-China relations, the report highlights developments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), noting that in October 2024, Indian leadership announced an agreement with China to disengage from the remaining standoff points along the border. This announcement came two days before a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.
The report says the Xi–Modi meeting marked the start of monthly high-level engagements, during which both sides discussed border management and measures to improve bilateral ties. These steps included resuming direct flights, facilitating visas, and promoting exchanges between academics and journalists.
China is assessed to be seeking to use reduced tensions along the LAC to stabilise relations with India and prevent closer strategic alignment between New Delhi and Washington. However, the report adds that India is likely to remain cautious about China’s intentions, with ongoing mistrust and unresolved issues expected to constrain the relationship.
