US, India, Allies Discuss Threats Facing Asia-Pacific, China Reacts

Army chiefs and senior officers from 30 countries including the United States met in New Delhi Tuesday to discuss threats facing the Asia-Pacific region, in the face of concern at an increasingly assertive China.

US Army chief Randy George said the region was "critically important", speaking to reporters alongside Chief of Army Staff Manoj Pande, and vowed to boost cooperation to "maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific".

Generals from Japan and Australia, which make up the "Quad" defence cooperation forum alongside Washington and Delhi, also took part, as did Britain and France.

As the generals met, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing would oppose the "wanton expansion of military alliances", the latest in a string of warnings as Washington deepens security ties in the Asia-Pacific.

Beijing has long said that any effort to establish a NATO-like military alliance in the Asia-Pacific would provoke conflict.

Nations present at the two-day conference in Delhi included Vietnam and the Philippines, both of which have longstanding pending territorial disputes with China.

The conference, which launched in 1999, brings together army chiefs and top officers from 30 countries.

Mr Pande said the region faced challenges on both land and at sea.

"These range from territorial disputes over land masses, or in some cases, even over artificially expanded islands to acquire real estate and establish military bases," Mr added, in an indirect reference to China.

New Delhi has also had to balance its traditional alliance with Russia -- the provider of most of its arms imports, and now a source of cut-price oil -- with growing ties to Washington.

"The partnership between India and the US armies is vital for stability in the region, and the relationship between our armies is strong and growing stronger," George said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)