Chinese officials warned against interfering with India-China relations, US report says

According to a report from the Pentagon to the US Congress, China has urged US officials not to meddle in its relations with India. Chinese officials attempted to downplay the severity of the crisis throughout their standoff with India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), focusing on Beijing's intention to maintain border stability and prevent the standoff from harming other facets of their bilateral relationship with India, according to a report released by the Pentagon on Tuesday.

"The People's Republic of China (PRC) wants to stop border disputes from pushing India to work more closely with the US. US authorities have received warnings from PRC officials not to meddle in their relations with India "In its most recent report on China's military build-up, the Pentagon claimed.
The Pentagon stated that in a portion of the China-India border, the PLA maintained the deployment of forces and continued infrastructure build-up along the LAC into 2021. As both parties resisted giving up perceived advantages on the border, the negotiations made little progress, it was said.

Chinese and Indian forces clashed at many areas along the LAC beginning in May 2020, using rocks, batons, and clubs covered with barbed wire. Forces were then gathered on both sides of the border as a result of the ensuing standoff.

Each nation wanted the evacuation of the other's soldiers and a return to the situation prior to the stalemate, but neither China nor India accepted such demands, the report added.