China said bilateral cooperation between India and Japan should not target any third party, following the July 2 summit in Delhi between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated on July 3 that cooperation must enhance regional trust and safeguard peace without harming third-party interests.
He added that such ties should not create exclusive groupings or stoke division, while noting the shared duty to maintain stable global supply chains.
India and Japan announced initiatives on critical minerals, defence co-development and energy security during the summit, and voiced concern over the East China Sea and South China Sea in their joint statement.
On July 4, Chinese spokesperson Yu Jing reiterated Guo’s remarks, saying the free and open Indo-Pacific concept goes against regional aspirations for peace and cooperation.
