Why China Is Targeting Arunachal Pradesh: Pentagon Report Exposes Beijing’s Sinister Plan | India News

Even though India and China have officially ended the years-long military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, Beijing is trying to revive the Arunachal Pradesh issue to keep it a flashpoint. According to a recent report by the US Department of Defense (Pentagon), China has included its claims over Arunachal Pradesh among its “core interests”, putting the Indian state on par with Taiwan.

The report warns that Arunachal Pradesh could become a major flashpoint in India-China relations. The document submitted to the US Congress states that Arunachal Pradesh, Taiwan and China’s territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea are of central importance to the strategic priorities of Beijing, which pursues its goal of “national rejuvenation” by 2049.

According to the Pentagon report, China aims to significantly expand its regional influence on a global scale within the scope of this “great rejuvenation” plan. It also aims to build a “world-class army” capable of “fighting and winning wars”, reflecting Beijing’s increasingly assertive stance.

Last year, India and China agreed to disengage troops along the LAC in eastern Ladakh, bringing a period of relative calm. But after several months of stability, tensions have surfaced once again in recent days over Arunachal Pradesh.

In a similar incident last month, Indian citizen Prema Thongdok, who was traveling from London to Japan, was detained for 18 hours at a transit stop in Shanghai. According to Thongdok, Chinese authorities declared his passport invalid because Arunachal Pradesh was listed as his place of birth. He was denied access to food and basic airport facilities during his detention.

He was later able to contact the Indian Consulate in Shanghai with the help of a friend in the UK and was subsequently allowed to continue his journey. Earlier this week, a YouTuber was also detained in China for posting a video describing Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India. The video was made in support of Thongdok.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as its territory and calls the region “South Tibet” or “Zangnan”. Beijing does not recognize the McMahon Line, which was drawn during British rule in 1914 and marked the border between British India and then-independent Tibet.

Tawang district in Arunachal Pradesh has special strategic and cultural importance for China. Initially, Beijing’s claims were limited to Tawang, but over time, China expanded its claim to include the entire province. It has repeatedly published lists of new Chinese names for places in Arunachal Pradesh in recent years as part of its efforts to put pressure on India.

Former diplomat Mahesh Sachdev noted that the US’s growing interest in China’s strategy in Arunachal Pradesh is significant: “In the past, the US has discussed Ladakh-related developments in great detail but has remained relatively silent on Arunachal Pradesh. The fact that these actions are now being acknowledged indicates that the US has come to a clearer understanding of China’s pressure tactics and broader strategy against India in Arunachal Pradesh.”