China has strongly criticised the proposed transfer of F-35 stealth fighters to India, asserting that the Asia-Pacific region should not become an arena for geopolitical manoeuvring.
The statement comes after US President Donald Trump declared that his administration was working towards supplying the advanced combat aircraft to New Delhi.
Speaking at a routine press briefing on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun remarked, “No one should make China an issue in the relations and cooperation between countries, or seek to instigate bloc politics and confrontation.”
He emphasised that peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region must not be jeopardised by strategic alignments.
“The Asia-Pacific is a stellar example of peace and development, not an arena for geopolitical games. Ganging up to form exclusive groupings and engaging in bloc politics and confrontation will not bring about security, and will by no means keep the Asia-Pacific and the whole world peaceful and stable.”
Guo also cautioned that international cooperation should not be directed at any third party or be detrimental to the interests of others.
“Let me reiterate that China believes that relations and cooperation between countries should not target any third party or harm others’ interests, and should be conducive to regional peace, stability and prosperity,” he stated.
Pakistan raises concerns over regional stability
Echoing Beijing’s apprehensions, Pakistan’s Foreign Office also raised objections, arguing that the transfer of F-35 jets to India could destabilise South Asia’s military equilibrium.
“Pakistan is deeply concerned over the planned transfer of advanced military technologies to India. Such steps accentuate military imbalances in the region and undermine strategic stability,” said a spokesperson for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) during a weekly press briefing on Friday.
Also read: F-35 deal without IAF input? Congress puts Modi in the dock
He further urged the international community to adopt an objective approach towards security concerns in South Asia.
“They remain unhelpful in achieving the objective of a durable peace in South Asia. We urge our international partners to take a holistic and objective view of issues of peace and security in South Asia and refrain from endorsing positions that are one-sided and deviate from ground reality,” the spokesperson added.
US-India defence ties
On Thursday, President Trump, addressing a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announced a substantial expansion in military cooperation between Washington and New Delhi.
“Starting this year, we will be increasing military sales to India by many billions of dollars. We are also paving the way to ultimately provide India with the F-35 stealth fighters,” Trump declared.
Following this, questions arose regarding India’s position on the potential acquisition of the F-35 jets. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri clarified that while military sales discussions are ongoing, the process of acquiring such platforms follows a defined procedure.
“On military sales to India, there is a process by which platforms are acquired. There is, in most cases, a request for proposals that is floated. There are responses to those. They are evaluated. I don't think with regard to the acquisition of an advanced aviation platform by India, that process has started yet. So, this is currently something that's at the stage of a proposal. But I don't think the formal process in this regard has started yet,” Misri explained during a press briefing.
New defence initiatives under US-India COMPACT
Apart from the F-35 discussions, the US and India have also unveiled a fresh initiative to enhance their defence collaboration—the Autonomous Systems Industry Alliance (ASIA).
The alliance aims to strengthen industrial partnerships and expand the production of autonomous military systems, particularly in the field of underwater domain awareness.
Both nations are also set to deepen cooperation across air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains, with greater focus on joint training, exercises, and the integration of cutting-edge technology into defence operations.
A notable highlight is the upcoming “Tiger Triumph” tri-service military exercise, to be held in India, which is expected to be significantly larger and more complex than previous iterations.
Additionally, both sides have pledged to enhance logistics, intelligence sharing, and force mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, reinforcing their shared strategic objectives under the US-India COMPACT for the 21st Century initiative.
The initiative, jointly launched by Modi and Trump, seeks to drive “Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce, and Technology” between the two nations.
Also read: US set to sell F-35 stealth fighter jets to India, confirms Prez Trump
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