China’s claims on Arunachal now among its core interests: US report

The prolonged military standoff between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh may have eased, but fresh tensions appear to be simmering elsewhere. A new US Pentagon report suggests that Arunachal Pradesh could emerge as the next major pressure point in the already complex relationship between New Delhi and Beijing.

According to the report, China has elevated its claims over Arunachal Pradesh to the level of its “core interests”, placing the Indian state alongside sensitive issues such as Taiwan and Beijing’s territorial and maritime assertions in the South China Sea. The assessment signals that the northeastern state is likely to play a far bigger role in shaping India–China relations in the years ahead.

The Pentagon document, submitted to the US Congress, outlines how China’s territorial claims are tied to its long-term national ambition of achieving the “great rejuvenation” by 2049. This vision, the report notes, includes operating at a higher global level and building a “world-class military” capable of “fight and win” operations.