India will suffer "catastrophic results" if it become a pawn in US attempts to counter China, a Chinese commentator has said.
"If India regresses from its non-alignment stance and becomes a pawn for the US in countering China, it will be caught up in a strategic dilemma and new geopolitical frictions will be triggered in South Asia," warned a commentary in the state-run Global Times daily.
The warning came as US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in Washington in their first face-to-face encounter and jointly called on Pakistan not to let terrorists use its territory against other countries.
The write-up quoted US think tank Atlantic Council as saying in a policy paper that Washington would need New Delhi to counter Beijing's growing influence in the world.
The commentary said being a "key piece in the jigsaw for the US" was nothing to be proud of. "Instead, it is more likely a trap that deserves India's vigilance.