The Importance of India and the Growing Chinese Threat by RUP NARAYAN DAS The triangular relationship between the United States, Chi- address at Motera stadium, he referenced the elephant in the na, and India particularly resonates in current geo-politics since room and contrasted India’s democracy to China, which he Covid-19. China’s belligerence has lent urgency to the need for called “a nation that seeks power through coercion, intimidaa coalition of democratic countries to deal with China. It is an tion, and aggression.” It was indeed a great strategic gesture on behalf of the irony of history that the U.S. and India – two of the world’s largest and most vibrant democracies – could not engage with each U.S. to support India when a bloody clash took place between other in a meaningful manner in the post-war period. It was only the armies of the two countries in the Golwan Valley on June when communist China attacked India in 1962 that a new era of 15th in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed and the Chinese relations between India and the U.S. was set in motion. Since army suffered a number of casualties as well. Launching a scathing attack on China, then, there has been no lookU.S. Secretary of State ing back, and the relationship Mike Pompeo said, “The between the two countries Chinese took incredibly has been transformed from aggressive action.” He estranged democracies to enalso lauded India’s begaged democracies. fitting response, saying, The renaming of the “The Indians have done U.S. Pacific Command as their best to respond to the Indo-Pacific Command that.” on June 1, 2018 was a straOn the night of Autegic gesture by the United gust 29th, in the latest States to co-opt India in round of ongoing escalathe Indo-Pacific against the tion on the Line of Acbackdrop of China’s belligtual Control (LAC) along erence. In September 2018, the India-China border the India-U.S. defense rein Ladakh, the Indian India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with lationship received a major U.S. President Donald Trump before a meeting in New Army thwarted the Chiboost at the 2+2 Dialogue in Delhi on February 25, 2020. nese Army’s attempt to New Delhi, where the “fountransgress into the Indian dational” Communications side. The U.S. supported Compatibility and Security The relationship between the two India’s position. ReiteratAgreement (COMCASA) was signed between the two countries has been transformed from ing Secretary Pompeo’s earlier remarks that the countries. COMCASA enestranged democracies to engaged United States hoped for a ables the Indian military to democracies. peaceful resolution to the get a better picture of the Inborder standoff between dian Ocean region, which is the two countries, U.S. seeing an increase in Chinese Assistant Secretary for East Asia and Pacific Affairs David activity. Prime Minister Modi, in his characteristic style, hosted Stilwell asked both sides to follow their commitment to rePresident Donald Trump in the capital city of Gujarat on Feb- solve the issue through peaceful means and dialogue. The U.S. also supported India’s courageous move to ban ruary 24th of this year and regaled him in a rousing road show from the airport to the Motera stadium. The India-U.S. relation- 118 mobile apps in light of new information that they enship was elevated to “Global Comprehensive Strategic Partner- gaged in activities which are prejudicial to the sovereignty, ship” and Prime Minister Modi hailed it as one of the defining integrity, defense, and security of India and public order. In partnerships of the 21st century. When President Trump gave his fact, The State Department developed their own initiative 26
RIPON FORUM October 2020
