India-US ‘Yudh Abhyas’ near LAC irks China, it warns US not to interfere in its ties with India: Report

China has recently said that it was opposed to the joint Indo-US military exercises that are being held near the Line of Actual Control (LAC), revealed the latest report from the US Department of Defence. The 18th edition of the India-US joint military exercise, called 'Yudh Abhyas,’ is currently underway in Uttarakhand, around 100 km from the LAC.

The nearly two-week exercise began earlier this month. The military exercise is conducted annually between India and the US to exchange best practices, tactics, techniques and procedures between the armies of the two nations.

China, which seeks to “prevent” tensions along the LAC from pushing India “to partner more closely” with the US, warned US officials “to not interfere” with its relationship with India. It further asserted that Indo-US military exercise violates the spirit of the two border agreements signed between New Delhi and Beijing.

The report also revealed that throughout 2021, and as seen in 2022, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had increasingly turned to the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) as “an instrument of statecraft in support of its national strategy and global ambitions.”

The report also highlighted that the PLA had “adopted more dangerous, coercive and aggressive actions” in the Indo-Pacific region.

“Throughout the stand-off, PRC [People’s Republic of China] officials sought to downplay the severity of the crisis, emphasising Beijing’s intent to preserve border stability and prevent the stand-off from harming other areas of its bilateral relationship with India,” said the China military power report 2022 submitted to the US Congress.

The report further added that beginning in May 2020, Chinese and Indian forces faced off in clashes with rocks, batons, and clubs wrapped in barbed wire at multiple locations along the LAC.

It said, “Differing perceptions of border demarcations along the LAC combined with recent infrastructure construction, led to multiple unarmed clashes, an ongoing stand-off, and military build-ups on both sides of the India-China border.”

Moreover, Zhao Lijian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, said, “The joint military exercise between India and the US close to the LAC at the China-India border violates the spirit of the agreement between China and India in 1993 and 1996.”

China also aims to enhance interoperability and share expertise between both armies in peacekeeping and disaster relief operations. Lijian, in response to a question posed by a correspondent from Pakistan, said, "It does not serve the mutual trust between China and India.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry's this reference to the 1993 and 1996 agreements comes as India termed the PLA’s attempts to move its troops to the disputed areas in the LAC in May 2020 violated the bilateral agreements which state that the boundary question is resolved through peaceful and friendly consultations.

The Pentagon report also examined China's military build-up in areas far beyond the country’s immediate sphere of influence, including in the Indian Ocean. It also noted that Beijing is seeking to" expand its overseas logistics and basing infrastructure to allow the PLA to project and sustain military power at greater distances."

It added, “In late March 2022, a FUCHI II class (Type 903A) supply ship Luomahu docked at the 450-metre pier for resupply; the first such reported PLA Navy port call to the Djibouti support base, indicating that the pier is now operational," says report said about China's operations in Djibouti, which India looks at with concern. "The pier likely is able to accommodate the PLA Navy's aircraft carriers, other large combatants, and submarines.”

The US Department of Defence’s assessment also revealed that China's official 2021 military budget of $209 billion was more than the combined defence budgets of India, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. However, it was less than a third of what the US spends on its military.

(With input from agencies)