China Seeks to Incorporate Arunachal Pradesh as Core Strategic Goal, Says US Defense Report

China aims to incorporate India’s Arunachal Pradesh into its own territory, identifying the move as one of its “core strategic goals,” according to a recent annual report submitted by the United States Department of Defense to the US Congress.

The report states that Beijing’s ambitions extend beyond Arunachal Pradesh to include full control over Taiwan and almost the entirety of the South China Sea. These objectives are described as central to China’s long-term vision of achieving the “great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation” by 2049.

According to the Pentagon’s assessment, China views the integration of Taiwan with the mainland as a “natural necessity” within the framework of this national rejuvenation. Control over Arunachal Pradesh, Taiwan, and the South China Sea is presented as essential to fulfilling Beijing’s strategic and ideological goals.

The report further notes that a rejuvenated China seeks to operate at a higher level globally and to build a military capable of fighting and winning wars across all domains. Such a force, the report says, would be designed to safeguard China’s territorial integrity, national security, and development interests.

China’s expanding military cooperation with Pakistan also features prominently in the report. It highlights Beijing’s efforts to deepen defense ties with Islamabad, including the joint production of JF-17 fighter jets. Pakistan is currently the only country authorized to purchase China’s J-10 fighter aircraft.

In addition, the report notes that China has supplied Pakistan and several other countries with drones and various military equipment. It specifically mentions the sale of eight Yuan-class submarines to Pakistan in a deal valued at approximately $3 billion.

The Pentagon report also raises concerns that China’s People’s Liberation Army is considering the establishment of military facilities in Pakistan, further underscoring the growing strategic and defense alignment between the two countries.

The findings reflect Washington’s broader concerns over China’s expanding military capabilities, regional territorial claims, and deepening defense partnerships in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.