China pushes back on India-Japan Indo-Pacific and critical minerals messaging after Takaichi visit

China has criticised the Free and Open Indo-Pacific concept after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi concluded a three-day visit to India. The comments came as New Delhi and Tokyo discussed regional strategy and cooperation on critical minerals during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Ms Takaichi. Beijing also warned that such cooperation should not be directed at any third party or used to create exclusive blocs.

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Chinese spokesperson Yu Jing repeated the position set out by foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun a day earlier, saying the so-called Free and Open Indo-Pacific concept goes against the shared aspirations of regional countries for peace, development and cooperation. He said the idea would not win genuine recognition and argued that safeguarding the postwar international order and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter was the foundation of prosperity and stability in the Asia-Pacific. He added that regional countries should work towards an Asia-Pacific that is prosperous, stable, open, interconnected, inclusive and mutually supportive.

The remarks were made on Friday, shortly after the Modi-Takaichi talks, and followed India and Japan's public emphasis on critical minerals cooperation. Beijing said such cooperation should not target any third party or undermine its interests. Guo also said it should not be used to create "small blocs" or stoke confrontation under the pretext of cooperation.

He said maintaining the stability and security of global industrial and supply chains was a shared responsibility and called for an open and cooperative mindset. The exchange matters because both the Indo-Pacific framework and critical minerals supply chains have become central to regional diplomacy. The Free and Open Indo-Pacific concept is widely used by Japan and other partners to describe a rules-based regional order, while China has repeatedly rejected it as exclusionary.

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Critical minerals have also become a strategic issue because they are important to industrial supply chains, making cooperation in this area politically sensitive when viewed through the lens of competition among major powers. The comments also underline the wider significance of Takaichi's visit to India, which was framed by New Delhi and Tokyo around regional cooperation. The joint messaging from India and Japan on Thursday included concern over the broader regional environment, although the supplied material does not give the full text of that statement.

Beijing's response suggests it is closely watching efforts by India and Japan to deepen coordination on security and supply-chain issues. What remains unclear from the available information is whether the Chinese remarks will lead to any further diplomatic response from India or Japan. It is also not yet clear whether the critical minerals cooperation discussed by Modi and Takaichi will be followed by specific agreements or implementation steps.

For now, the episode shows continued friction over regional strategy language and the growing political weight of supply-chain cooperation in Asia.

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