India's defence chief alarmed over Pakistan, BD, China getting closer

KARACHI: India’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Tuesday warned about a possible convergence of interests between China, Pakistan and Bangladesh, saying it could pose significant challenges to India’s internal stability.

“There is a possible convergence of interest we can talk about between China, Pakistan and Bangladesh that may have implications for India’s stability and security dynamics”, Gen Chauhan said while speaking at an event organised by the Observer Research Foundation.

His remarks come against the backdrop of a diplomatic downturn in India-Bangladesh relations following the ouster of former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina last year, who later sought refuge in India.

Gen Chauhan also raised concerns about shifting geopolitical alignments in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), claiming that the region’s economic vulnerabilities have enabled external actors to deepen their influence. “The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) has allowed outside powers to leverage their influence through debt diplomacy, creating vulnerabilities for India. Similarly, frequent shifts in government in South Asia, with changing geopolitical equations and ideological views, pose another major challenge”, he said.

On the topic of India’s Operation Sindoor, Gen Chauhan said it was “possibly the first time that two nuclear weapon states were directly engaged in hostilities”. While he acknowledged speculation around China’s involvement, he noted: “It is challenging to determine the extent of state support provided by China to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor”, and added that no unusual activity was observed along India’s northern borders during the conflict.