US Intelligence: China Is India’s Main Rival, Pakistan an Ancillary Security Concern

By A Staff Reporter

New Delhi: According to the latest assessment by the US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), India regards China as its main strategic rival, while Pakistan remains an ancillary security concern. The report, part of the DIA’s ‘World Threat Assessment,’ highlights India’s defence priorities under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, emphasizing global leadership, countering China, and strengthening military capabilities.

The report underscores that Pakistan perceives India as an “existential threat” and is likely to continue modernizing its military, including developing battlefield or tactical nuclear weapons to offset India’s conventional superiority. Despite the May escalation in cross-border hostilities, the DIA characterizes Pakistan as a secondary security challenge relative to China.

China’s role in facilitating nuclear and missile proliferation is also flagged, particularly its assistance to Pakistan and North Korea in expanding their arsenals. According to global estimates cited in the report, India and Pakistan each possess approximately 170 nuclear warheads, with Pakistan’s short-range Nasr (Hatf-IX) missile system frequently highlighted as a countermeasure to India’s conventional forces.

The DIA notes that China’s nuclear stockpile has likely surpassed the 600 operational warheads and projects that by 2030, China will possess over 1,000 warheads, many maintained at high readiness for rapid deployment