Beijing warns Delhi over Japan pact

At Thursday’s summit, India and Japan agreed to Deepen economic cooperation, and co-develop military hardware

China on Friday reacted cautiously to the newly announced strategic initiatives between India and Japan, warning that bilateral cooperation should not target third countries or deepen regional divisions.

The remarks came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi unveiled a series of agreements covering critical minerals, defence cooperation, energy security and economic partnerships during summit talks in New Delhi.

Responding to questions on the India-Japan critical minerals initiative, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that international cooperation should promote stability rather than create exclusive blocs.

“Such cooperation should not target any third party or harm the interests of any third party, still less be used as an excuse to patch up exclusive small groupings and stoke division and confrontation,” Guo said at a regular media briefing.

Emphasising the importance of resilient global supply chains, Guo added, “It is the common responsibility of all countries to keep the global industrial and supply chains safe and stable. All parties should champion openness and cooperation and play a constructive role in the process.”

Beijing’s response came amid heightened regional attention over the evolving India-Japan partnership, which China views against the backdrop of shifting geopolitical alignments in the Indo-Pacific.

During Thursday’s summit, India and Japan agreed to establish a new framework for economic cooperation, deepen collaboration in critical minerals to strengthen supply chain resilience, and co-develop military hardware under a fresh defence partnership. The two countries also agreed to expand energy cooperation to reduce vulnerabilities arising from future oil supply disruptions.

Maritime security figured prominently in the joint statement issued after the talks. India and Japan expressed “serious concern” over developments in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, reaffirming their commitment to freedom of navigation and overflight in accordance with international law. The two sides also opposed unilateral attempts to alter the status quo through force or coercion.

Prime Minister Takaichi’s visit also unfolded against the backdrop of worsening ties between Tokyo and Beijing. Bilateral relations have remained strained since her November 2025 remarks that Japan could respond militarily if China were to attack Taiwan, comments that drew a sharp reaction from Beijing.

China regards the self-governed island of Taiwan as part of its territory and has repeatedly stated that it reserves the option of using force to achieve reunification.

The India-Japan initiative on critical minerals assumes added significance as China continues to tighten controls over rare earth exports to several countries, including India, Japan and the United States. Beijing dominates roughly 70 per cent of global rare earth mining and nearly 90 per cent of processing capacity, giving it considerable leverage over supplies essential for defence equipment, electric vehicles, renewable energy technologies, electronics and other advanced manufacturing sectors.