Roving Periscope: The US concerned about China’s claims on Arunachal, Taiwan
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: A Department of War (Pentagon) report, submitted to the US Congress, has flagged China’s claims 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.
China’s Communist-dictatorial leadership has expanded the scope of its “core interests” to include a democratic Taiwan, sovereignty claims, and maritime disputes in the South China Sea, the Senkaku Islands, and the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, the media, quoting the report, said on Wednesday.
Chinese officials have often described the unification of China and contested territories, particularly Taiwan, as a “natural requirement” for national rejuvenation, it said.
As of now, China reportedly has territorial disputes with over 15 countries on its borders and elsewhere, and keeps publishing manufactured “maps” as part of its cartographic diplomacy to stake claims in the future.
Under this long-term 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 Pentagon report outlined that China identifies three “core interests” that are central to national rejuvenation and not open to negotiation or compromise.
These are: the control of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the promotion of the country’s economic development, and the defence and expansion of China’s sovereignty and territorial claims.
The Pentagon assessment points out that the CCP remains highly sensitive to any perceived threats to its continuous rule since 1949, 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, the Muslim-dominated northwestern province of 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, India 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.
The US report said 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.
Also, 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.
