(TibetanReview.net, May26’25) – Following its armed invasion and illegal annexation of Tibet in the middle of the last century, China is now India’s “primary adversary” and its defence priorities focus on countering the threats posed by this new neighbour. This is the assessment of a US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) report May 11.
Although the general perception is that Pakistan is India’s archenemy, the country which is accused of running terrorist training camps and sponsoring cross-border terrorism targeting it is only “an ancillary security problem to be managed”, hindustantimes.com and other Indian news outlets May 26 cited the report as saying.
Pakistan, on the other hand, sees India as an “existential threat” and will continue the development of tactical nuclear weapons to counter India’s conventional military advantage, while tensions between India and China on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are “capable of escalating quickly”, DIA director Lt Gen Jeffrey Kruse has said in his worldwide threat assessment to the US House armed services subcommittee on intelligence.
Kruse has concluded: “India views China as its primary adversary and Pakistan more an ancillary security problem to be managed, despite cross-border attacks in mid-May by both India’s and Pakistan’s militaries.”
During the recent armed conflict between India and Pakistan, following the former’s launch of “Operation Sindoor” precision strikes on May 6-7 night in reprisal for the Apr 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam town of Jammu and Kashmir, China reportedly provided satellite support for Pakistan which used Beijing-supplied combat jets such as the JF-17 and J-10C and the PL-15 missiles in the ensuing four-day exchanges of fire.
In order to be able to deal with China, India is not only enhancing its military power but also focusing on its global leadership role.
“To counter Chinese influence and boost its global leadership role, India is giving priority to advancing its bilateral defence partnerships in the Indian Ocean region through exercises, training, arms sales, and information sharing,” the assessment was quoted as saying.
Last October, India and China reached an agreement on disengagement of forces at two remaining “friction points” on the LAC and the leadership of the two countries agreed to revive several mechanisms to resolve the long-standing border dispute and to normalise relations.
However, according to the DIA report, the “disengagement did not resolve the longstanding dispute about border demarcation but reduced some tension still lingering from a 2020 incident when troops on both sides were killed in a clash” along the LAC.
Accordingly, the DIA sees India as continuing to promote its “Make in India” initiative to build its domestic defence industry, mitigate supply chain concerns, and modernise its military.
India also continued military modernisation efforts in 2024 by conducting a test of the nuclear-capable Agni-I Prime MRBM and the Agni-V multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle and by commissioning its second nuclear-powered submarine to “strengthen its nuclear triad and bolster its ability to deter adversaries”.
The DIA’s conclusion also is that India will maintain its relationship with Russia because it views these ties as “important for achieving its economic and defence objectives and sees value in the relationship…to offset deepening Russia-China relations”.