The Importance of India & the Growing Chinese Threat

The Importance of India and the Growing Chinese Threat

by RUP NARAYAN DAS

The triangular relationship between the United States, Chiaddress 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.” irony of history that the U.S. and India – two of the world’s largIt was indeed a great strategic gesture on behalf of the est 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 then, there has been no lookscathing attack on China, ing back, and the relationship U.S. Secretary of State between the two countries Mike Pompeo said, “The has been transformed from Chinese took incredibly estranged democracies to enaggressive action.” He gaged democracies. also lauded India’s be

The renaming of the fitting response, saying, U.S. Pacific Command as “The Indians have done the Indo-Pacific Command their best to respond to on June 1, 2018 was a strathat.” tegic gesture by the United On the night of AuStates to co-opt India in gust 29th, in the latest the Indo-Pacific against the round of ongoing escalabackdrop of China’s belligtion on the Line of Acerence. In September 2018, tual Control (LAC) along the India-U.S. defense rethe India-China border lationship received a major India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with in Ladakh, the Indian boost at the 2+2 Dialogue in U.S. President Donald Trump before a meeting in New Army thwarted the ChiNew Delhi, where the “founDelhi on February 25, 2020. nese Army’s attempt to dational” Communications transgress into the Indian Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA) The relationship between the two side. The U.S. supported India’s position. Reiteratwas signed between the two countries has been transformed from ing Secretary Pompeo’s countries. COMCASA enables the Indian military to get a better picture of the Inestranged democracies to engaged democracies. earlier remarks that the United States hoped for a peaceful resolution to the dian Ocean region, which is border standoff between seeing an increase in Chinese the two countries, U.S. activity. Assistant Secretary for East Asia and Pacific Affairs David

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 Febsolve the issue through peaceful means and dialogue. ruary 24th of this year and regaled him in a rousing road show The U.S. also supported India’s courageous move to ban from the airport to the Motera stadium. The India-U.S. relation118 mobile apps in light of new information that they enship was elevated to “Global Comprehensive Strategic Partnergaged 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

to ensure that Americans’ privacy, companies’ proprietary ter Modi. In a telephonic conversation with Trump on April 4th, information, and their own diplomatic communications are Modi reiterated India’s solidarity with the U.S. in overcoming protected by eliminating possible vulnerabilities through telethe global crisis together and to resolutely and effectively comcommunications services, app stores, cloud storage, and unbat Covid-19. The words of intent were quickly demonstrated dersea cable infrastructure. They called on “all freedom-loving in concrete action when Modi rescinded an extant domestic nations and companies” to join law that banned the export of them in their efforts in instituthydroxychloroquine (HCQ) to ing a ‘Clean Network,’ which Throughout Covid-19, we have the United States at the request the Trump Administration rolled out in response to the seen an unprecedented level of of President Trump for the treatment of American COVID-19 possibility of aggressive intrusolidarity between President patients at a time when there sions by malign actors such as the Chinese Communist Party. Trump and Prime Minister was pressing domestic demand for the drug.

The outbreak of coronaviModi. President Trump reciprus and its spread also resonatrocated the goodwill gesture ed within the triangular relawhen the U.S. handed over tionship among the three countries. The growing estrangement 100 ventilators, valued about $1.2 million, to India on June between India and China and corresponding bonding between 16th. Now, there are at least three possible vaccines which President Trump and Prime Minister Modi was evident from American and Indian companies are working together to a new development. Prime Minister Modi spoke to nearly all develop and test. RF world leaders in April, including President Trump, but not to a top Chinese leader, suggesting an estrangement between the Rup Narayan Das retired as joint secretary in the Lok Sabha two leaders. Secretariat of Indian Parliament last year and is a senior fel

Throughout Covid-19, we have seen an unprecedented low of the Indian Council of Social Science Research at the level of solidarity between President Trump and Prime MinisIndian Institute of Public Administration in New Delhi.