China made it clear that it will not join an initiative led by Russia to form a trilateral defense relationship.
The communication came last week from Beijing as the Dalai Lama came to visit the Arunachal Pradesh despite protests from the Chinese government. India has refused to consider China's request.
An invitation came from Moscow for a trilateral meeting on April 25 and a day before the Moscow Conference on International Security, to be attended by India's defense minister, Arun Jaitley.
The three countries were supposed to explore the dynamics of the trilateral arrangement. However, China refused to attend and did not give any details.
Russia then conveyed the message to India. There is speculation that Beijing's decision is due to the sensitivities of the country's partnership with Pakistan, which has a long-standing dispute with India.
China, Russia and Pakistan have an alliance on their own and was formed to battle Afghanistan and was a result of the failure of the U.S. to bring stability in the region.
The conflict in Afghanistan is a pressing concern for Pakistan because the war is hampering development in the region. Analysts think that Pakistan has no other recourse but to get support from other countries.
Defense analyst Retired Lieutenant General Amjad Shoaib said, "Due to these compulsions Pakistan has now reached out to Russia and other regional countries."
The military analyst added that Washington has shown little interest in bringing peace to Afghanistan and is more keen on extending the armed conflict.
He noted that Pakistan has made it clear to the U.S. that if they fail to control the Taliban, then Pakistan will get support from Russia and China.
"This is a realistic approach and is good for our interests," said General Shoaib.