US Pentagon report warns China now treats Arunachal Pradesh as ‘core national interest’

The report submitted to Congress says China has expanded its core interests to include Taiwan, maritime claims in South China Sea, the Senkaku Islands, & India’s northeastern state.

Representational image | Reuters

Washington: A Pentagon report submitted to the US Congress has flagged China’s claim over India’s Arunachal Pradesh as part of its stated “core interests”, underscoring Beijing’s broader national strategy aimed at achieving the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” by 2049.
The report notes that China’s leadership has expanded the scope of its “core interests” to include Taiwan, sovereignty claims and maritime disputes in the South China Sea, the Senkaku Islands, and the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.
Chinese officials have described the unification of China and contested territories, particularly Taiwan, as a “natural requirement” for national rejuvenation.
Under this strategic vision, a rejuvenated China would operate at a new global level and field a “world-class” military capable of “fight and win” operations, while “resolutely safeguarding” the country’s sovereignty, security and development interests.
The document outlines that China identifies three “core interests” that are central to national rejuvenation and not open to negotiation or compromise.
These include the control of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the promotion of China’s economic development, and the defence and expansion of China’s sovereignty and territorial claims.
The assessment points out that the CCP remains highly sensitive to any perceived threats to its rule, whether external or domestic, including criticism that it is failing to defend Chinese interests.
To reinforce party control, the CCP labels unfriendly political voices in Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet, as well as political leadership in Taiwan, as separatist elements influenced by so-called “external forces,” viewing them as unacceptable threats to its legitimacy and power.
On developments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India, the report highlights that in October 2024, Indian leadership announced an agreement with China to disengage from remaining standoff sites along the LAC, two days before a meeting between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.
It states that the Xi-PM Modi meeting marked the beginning of monthly high-level engagements between the two countries, during which the two sides discussed border management and next steps in the bilateral relationship.
These steps included direct flights, visa facilitation, and exchanges of academics and journalists.
China is seen as seeking to capitalise on reduced tensions along the LAC to stabilise bilateral relations and prevent a deepening of US-India ties.
At the same time, the report notes that India is likely to remain sceptical of China’s actions and intentions, adding that continued mutual distrust and other irritants are almost certain to limit the bilateral relationship.