(TibetanReview.net, Dec24’25) – China has been expanding the scope of what it calls its “core interests” as it aims to achieve the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” by 2049 which envisages exercise of sovereignty over territories that include the democratically self-governed Taiwan and India’s Arunachal Pradesh as well, reported newsx.com Dec 24, citing a US Department of War (The Pentagon) report submitted to the Congress. The report also highlights China’s simultaneous easing of LAC (Line of Actual Control) tensions with India amid deepening of military ties with the latter’s arch-enemy Pakistan, noted indiatoday.in and other news outlets Dec 24.
The US Department of War’s 2025 Annual Report to Congress on Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China offers a detailed evaluation of China’s evolving national strategy, rapid military modernisation and expanding global footprint. It analyses the growing capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army across land, air, naval, space, cyber and nuclear domains, and assesses their implications for regional stability and the rules-based international order, said the indiatoday.in report.
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 (of Japan), and the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, said the newsx.com report.
Chinese officials have been cited as having described the unification of China and contested territories, particularly Taiwan, as a “natural requirement” for national rejuvenation.
China’s strategic vision is stated to envisage a rejuvenated country that would operate at a new global level, fielding a “world-class” military capable of “fight and win” operations, while “resolutely safeguarding” the nation’s sovereignty, security and development interests.
The Pentagon document is stated to outline 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.
In this regard, the Pentagon Report has highlighted what the party-state perceives as ‘Unfriendly’ Political Voices In Hong Kong, Tibet To reinforce party control and the CCP’s labelling of 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.
With regard to ties with India, the report is stated to note that China is seeking to capitalise on reduced tensions along the LAC, especially after the meeting between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Oct 2024, to stabilise bilateral relations and prevent a deepening of US-India ties.
The report is also stated to note, however, 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.
The latest Pentagon assessment is stated to caution India against Beijing’s dual-track strategy—easing tensions along the LAC while simultaneously deepening military cooperation with the former’s arch-enemy Pakistan. It has cited Pakistan as a potential location for future Chinese military facilities, a move that would extend the PLA’s reach close to India’s borders.