The United States has issued a stark warning to India regarding China's complex and dual-pronged strategy. According to the Pentagon's comprehensive 2025 report, China is simultaneously attempting to de-escalate tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India, while aggressively enhancing its military cooperation with Pakistan. This assessment suggests that China's actions are a calculated move to prevent India from forging closer. Strategic alliances with the United States, thereby maintaining its regional influence and countering any potential encirclement.
China's De-escalation Efforts on LAC
The report indicates that in October 2024, India and China agreed to disengage from remaining friction points along the LAC, a move that superficially suggests a reduction in border tensions. However, the Pentagon's analysis posits that China's underlying motive is to normalize relations with India to deter it from moving closer to the United States. Beijing seeks to ensure that a stronger India-US partnership doesn't. Undermine its broader regional and global ambitions, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.
Despite these de-escalation efforts, a significant trust deficit persists between India and China. The long-standing territorial dispute over Arunachal Pradesh remains a major point of contention, directly challenging India's sovereignty. China consistently claims Arunachal Pradesh as its own, equating its. Strategic importance to that of Taiwan and the South China Sea. This persistent claim underscores the deep-seated mistrust and the enduring. Nature of the bilateral disputes, making genuine normalization of relations difficult.
Escalating Military Aid to Pakistan
The Pentagon report expresses deep concern over China's expanding military role in Pakistan. Since 2020, China has supplied Pakistan with 36 J-10C fighter jets, Importantly bolstering Pakistan's air force capabilities. Also, both nations are jointly producing the JF-17 fighter jet, demonstrating a deep level of defense collaboration. Pakistan is also receiving a steady supply of Chinese drones and various naval equipment, enhancing its overall military strength and operational reach.
In December 2024, China and Pakistan conducted a joint anti-terrorism military exercise, further highlighting their active military partnership, while the report also suggests the potential for future Chinese military bases in Pakistan. Should these bases materialize, they would Importantly increase China's military presence near India's borders, posing new strategic challenges for India's security and potentially altering the regional power balance in China's favor on India's western flank.
China's Global Military Base Ambitions
The US Defense Department's 'Pentagon' report also reveals that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) is actively planning to establish new military bases in 21 countries worldwide, including Bangladesh and Pakistan. The primary objective of these bases is to enable China's navy and air force to conduct operations in distant regions and to facilitate the deployment of its army abroad, while this initiative is a crucial component of China's broader strategy to project its military power globally.
Beijing's keenest interest lies in strategic locations that are vital for global maritime trade, such as the Malacca Strait, the Strait of Hormuz, and key strategic points in Africa and the Middle East. A military presence in these areas would allow China to exert control and influence over critical global trade routes, while experts suggest that these overseas military facilities could serve not only for logistical support but also for intelligence gathering. Such a logistical network could aid China in monitoring the activities of the United States and its allies, providing it with a significant strategic advantage.
PLA's 2027 Strategic Targets
The report notes that while US-China relations have seen some improvement under President Donald Trump, China remains steadfast in its military ambitions. The US advocates for increased military-to-military dialogue to prevent conflict and manage situations effectively. Concurrently, the US reaffirms its commitment to protecting its interests in the Indo-Pacific region. According to the report, China has set a target for its military by 2027 to achieve a decisive victory against Taiwan, balance the US in the nuclear and strategic sectors, and exert pressure on other Asian nations, while these ambitious goals underscore China's aspirations for regional and global dominance.
Strengthening Command and Control Systems
According to the Pentagon report, China is also actively strengthening its command and control systems for its overseas military infrastructure. This is aimed at enabling better operation of its distant bases. The report further indicates that these activities will largely be covert. And technical, making them difficult for host nations to detect or comprehend. This approach will provide China with enhanced intelligence on the military activities of the United States and its partners, thereby granting it a strategic edge. Experts believe that this move by China represents a significant and calculated effort to augment its military power and influence on a global scale.
US Congressional Oversight on China's Power
For the past 25 years, the US Congress has mandated the Department of Defense (Pentagon) to produce an annual report scrutinizing China's military strength and strategy. These reports consistently highlight China's continuous efforts to modernize its military and expand its global role, while the report states that the current primary focus of China's military is on the 'First Island Chain,' a crucial maritime area stretching from Japan to Malaysia. China views this as the center of its strategic interests in Asia, while however, as China's economic and military power grows, its military is also rapidly preparing to project power worldwide, signaling its increasing global ambitions.
US Stance: Not to Undermine China
The United States asserts that its objective isn't to undermine China but to ensure that no single nation can dominate the Indo-Pacific region, including the US or its allies. To achieve this, the US aims to maintain peace through strength. The report also states that China's military is preparing itself for a 'strong adversary' like the. United States, with the ultimate goal of surpassing the US as the world's most powerful nation. To this end, China is employing a whole-of-nation strategy, which it terms 'National Total War, while ' In recent years, China has rapidly advanced its capabilities in nuclear weapons, long-range missile systems, navy, cyber, and space. In 2024, Chinese cyberattacks, such as 'Volt Typhoon,' targeted the US, posing a direct challenge to American security.
China's Options for Taiwan
The Pentagon report also details that the PLA is working on several options to forcibly integrate Taiwan into China. These options include a sea-borne invasion, missile strikes, and a blockade of Taiwan, all of which pose severe threats to Taiwan's sovereignty. In 2024, China conducted numerous military exercises that simulated attacks on Taiwan and surrounding areas, as well as scenarios targeting US forces. The strike range of these simulated attacks could extend from 1,500 to 2,000 nautical miles,. Demonstrating China's extensive military reach and its preparedness to deter or counter potential US military intervention.
China's overarching national strategy is the 'Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation' by 2049. Under this vision, China aims to become a global superpower with a military capable of fighting and winning anywhere in the world, while china identifies three core interests: maintaining the Communist Party's rule, ensuring economic development, and defending and expanding its sovereignty and territorial claims. These territorial claims include Taiwan, the South China Sea, the Senkaku Islands, and India's Arunachal Pradesh. China considers the reunification of Taiwan with mainland China as an essential part of its national goal, which it's determined to achieve by any means necessary.
China's Perception of US Intentions
According to the report, China believes that the United States and its allies seek to impede its progress. Actions such as the US arming Taiwan, deploying missiles in the Philippines, and imposing technological restrictions have consistently angered China, which views these as attempts to hinder its development, while despite these tensions, China aims to keep channels of communication open with the US to prevent a complete breakdown of relations and avoid major confrontations. While several levels of military-to-military talks occurred between the US and China in 2024, China refused further dialogue with US military chiefs towards the end of the year. The US maintains that it wishes to keep contact open to de-escalate tensions and prevent miscalculation or accidents.
