Amid growing India-US bonhomie, China says no one can 'contain' us

China was responding to questions on Trump administration's decision to sell high-tech military equipment to India

File photo

WASHINGTON: Expressing displeasure over growing bonhomie between India and US, Chinese envoy to the US on Monday claimed that no one will “be able to contain China.”

Cui Tiankai, the Chinese Ambassador to the US, also hinted that formation of this "exclusive club" can change the equation the Indo-Pacific region.

"Good relations between China and the US is not at the expense of any other country. The same should be true for relations between US and India and Japan and India," said Tiankai.

The Chinese diplomat was responding to questions on the recent India-centric policy speech by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and the decision of the Trump administration to sell to India high-tech military equipment, including state-of-the-art armed drones, and the Japanese proposal of a strategic quadrilateral dialogue involving India and Australia.

"I don't think that the sales of advanced arms would really serve that purpose," Tiankai said, further adding, "By the way I don't think anybody would be able to contain China." 

Political analysts have viewed the sale of arms to India as a US move to contain China.

US President Donald Trump is expected to visit China for 10 days next month. He would also visit Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Without mentioning the recent Doklam stand-off, Cui said the relationship between China and India "have been developing quite steadily over the years" and that "confrontation" is not in the interest of either of the two countries.

"I'm quite confident that both countries have a clear recognition of what will serve their respective interests best," he said, responding to a question on India and the move to have a strategic dialogue involving four countries – India, Japan, US and Australia.

Cui said all the regional countries in the Indo-Pacific have shared interests in greater stability, peace and better prospects for prosperity. In order to achieve that regional countries have to work together and have to promote closer cooperation among them and maybe establish appropriate regional mechanisms, he said.

With PTI inputs