China primary adversary, Pak ancillary problem for New Delhi

Tensions between India, China on the LAC are capable of escalating quickly, the report by United States' D.I.A. said

- Rezaul H Laskar

NEW DELHI: India perceives China as its "primary adversary" and Pakistan as "an ancillary security problem to be managed" despite the military clashes this month triggered by New Delhi's military strikes on terrorist facilities, according to a new assessment by the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).

Pakistan, on the other hand, sees India as an "existential threat" and will continue the development of tactical nuclear weapons to counter India's conventional military advantage, while tensions between India and China on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) are "capable of escalating quickly", DIA director Lt Gen Jeffrey Kruse said in his worldwide threat assessment to the US House armed services subcommittee on intelligence.