China on Thursday sharply criticized a new US Department of Defense (Pentagon) report, calling it a deliberate attempt to “sow discord” between Beijing and New Delhi. The report accuses China of pursuing a dual-track strategy — easing border tensions with India while strengthening military cooperation with Pakistan.

According to the US assessment, China is simultaneously pushing for calm along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and expanding defense and space cooperation with Islamabad, raising concerns over possible construction of a Chinese military facility in Pakistan. The Pentagon also claimed that Beijing continues to view Arunachal Pradesh as part of its “core interests,” equating it with other sensitive regions like Taiwan and the South China Sea.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian dismissed the report as groundless, saying it “distorts China’s normal defense policies” and “reflects the Cold War mindset” of the United States. “The United States should stop its irresponsible comments and refrain from interfering in regional affairs to preserve its own military hegemony,” Lin said at a press briefing in Beijing.

The Chinese Ministry of National Defense echoed this view, asserting that annual US reports “fabricate the so-called China threat” to justify militarization in the Asia-Pacific. Officials also avoided directly addressing questions about Beijing’s defense engagement with Pakistan, merely reiterating that China’s relationship with India was guided by “long-term strategic vision.”

The Pentagon’s latest report comes after a period of tentative calm along the India-China border. While both sides have held multiple rounds of high-level talks since their deadly 2020 clash in Galwan Valley, analysts say the peace remains fragile. At the same time, China has continued to deepen defense trade with Pakistan, including the supply of J-10C fighter jets and advanced missile systems.

Experts see this latest exchange as part of a broader power struggle in Asia. The United States has increased its cooperation with India through the Quad alliance, while Beijing appears intent on stabilizing the border to prevent closer military alignment between Washington and New Delhi. With both China and the US standing firm on their positions, the war of words is expected to continue—further testing regional trust in an already tense Indo-Pacific landscape.