China on Friday said cooperation between nations should promote regional stability and mutual trust rather than be directed against any third country, a day after India and Japan unveiled a series of major initiatives following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Responding to a question about India and Japan's collaboration on critical minerals aimed at strengthening supply chain resilience, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said such partnerships should contribute to regional peace and confidence-building.
“Cooperation between countries should be conducive to enhancing the understanding and trust among regional countries and safeguarding peace and stability in the region,” Guo told a media briefing in Beijing.
He further said: “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 also stressed the importance of maintaining resilient global supply chains, saying, “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.”
Following summit-level discussions on Thursday, India and Japan announced a series of agreements spanning economic, defence and energy cooperation. The two countries unveiled an economic partnership framework, signed a defence pact for the co-development of military hardware and announced measures to strengthen energy cooperation to mitigate the impact of oil supply disruptions.
In their joint statement, New Delhi and Tokyo also voiced “serious concern” over developments in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. They opposed unilateral actions that threaten freedom of navigation and rejected attempts to alter the status quo through the use of force.
Takaichi's visit to India was closely monitored by Beijing amid strained ties between China and Japan. Relations between the two countries have deteriorated sharply since her remarks in November 2025 suggesting Japan could respond if China launched an attack on Taiwan. Beijing regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and maintains that it should be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Her comments had prompted a strong reaction from China.
China has also tightened exports of rare earth minerals to Japan, the United States, India and several other countries as part of its broader trade strategy. The country accounts for around 70 per cent of global rare earth mining and nearly 90 per cent of processing capacity. These minerals are critical for the production of electronics, automobiles, wind power equipment, defence systems and a wide range of advanced technologies.
