The Chinese government has asked the United States to stay out of its relations with India, according to the Pentagon.

A warning from China to the United States not to meddle in China’s diplomatic relationship with India.
Since the worst border clashes, relations between India and China have deteriorated rapidly.
India is a member of a group working to limit China’s global sway.
DELHI, New The Pentagon has released a report claiming that China has warned the United States not to interfere in China’s relationship with India after deadly border skirmishes between the two Asian giants in 2020.

Since the worst border clashes in 45 years, in which 20 Indian and 4 Chinese soldiers were killed, relations between the two countries have worsened significantly. Since then, India has increased its imports from China despite maintaining a large military presence along its Himalayan border.

Together with the United States, Japan, and Australia, India forms the so-called Quad alliance, which works to limit China’s hegemonic influence in the Indo-Pacific.

The United States Department of Defense said in a report to Congress released on Tuesday that throughout the standoff, PRC officials tried to minimize the crisis by emphasizing Beijing’s desire to maintain border stability and keep the dispute from disrupting other aspects of China’s bilateral relationship with India.

“The PRC is working to mitigate border tensions to reduce the likelihood that India will increase its cooperation with the United States. The People’s Republic of China has warned the United States not to meddle in their relationship with India.”

During Wednesday’s routine news conference, Zhao Lijian, the spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made no reference to the Pentagon report. Joint military drills between the United States and India this month in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand, not too far from the Chinese border, were “not conducive to the trust between India and China,” he said.

Brahma Chellaney, a defence and strategic affairs analyst in New Delhi, said China was able to “advance its interests” by playing down its military stand on its Himalayan frontier while shielding other areas of its relationship with India.

“Downplaying its aggression, ironically, also aids India’s efforts to save face,” he said on Twitter, referring to criticism within India about its response to China.