'Nukes against India': China rubbishes US charge

Dismissing the recent Pentagon report that the People's Liberation Army has deployed nuclear capable missiles against India as "unfounded" and "contrary to facts", China on Wednesday said the claims were made with "ulterior motives".

"Such comments are unfounded. Both China and India have always been committed to developing strategic cooperative partnership for peace and prosperity", a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said in a statement to PTI in Beijing.

"For many years, through the joint efforts made by two sides, China and India border areas have maintained peace and tranquility on the whole," the spokesperson said when asked to comment on the Pentagon's report.

The Pentagon report, titled 'Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China' had said China has deployed more advanced and survivable solid-fuel nuclear capable CSS-5 MRBM missiles against India as a 'deterrent posture'.

"Such comments are contrary to the fact and have been made with ulterior motives", the brief communication said without elaborating.

This is the first time that China has reacted to the specific charge made by Pentagon on August 25 though Beijing has already protested to US voicing "strong dissatisfaction" and "firm opposition" to the report as a whole.

Earlier on August 26, Chinese defence ministry, without making any reference to missiles along with Indian border, had said the Pentagon report does not hold water as it severely distorted the facts, without making any reference to missiles.

The report had said that PLA has replaced liquid-fuelled, nuclear-capable CSS-2 IRBMs with more advanced and survivable solid-fuelled CSS-5 MRBM systems to strengthen its deterrent posture relative to India.

It also said Beijing is pumping in huge investments on border infrastructure developments laying more roads and rail network along the Sino-India border.