US-India Leadership Summit Aims To Strengthen Solidarity in Deterring China – Watching America

President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met at the White House, where they reached agreement on issues such as strengthening defensive coordination and cooperation in high-tech fields. U.S.-Indian cooperation is vital in deterring China, which is expanding its military influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Both countries should work hard to strengthen their relationship based on the good results from this conference.

According to a joint declaration released after the summit, both leaders agreed that, in addition to jointly manufacturing engines for U.S.-developed fighter aircraft in India, U.S.-made unmanned drones will be supplied to India, and Indian shipyards will be made capable of repairing U.S. Navy ships and other vessels.

India exchanged wartime fire with China in 1962, and even now, the two countries are engaged in a border dispute. Sporadic clashes break out between troops from the two nations in the border zone. The strengthening of defense cooperation with the U.S. is certainly expected to increase deterrence against China in such situations.

India considers itself a regional power in South Asia, and during the Cold War era, it took a nonaligned stance, siding neither with the U.S. nor Russia.

India’s participation in the cooperative framework with the U.S., Japan and Australia, known as the Quad, is likely a consequence of India’s serious consideration of the mutual advantages and disadvantages of dealing with the Chinese threat. India’s border confrontations with China would also lead to dispersing any Chinese military that might invade Taiwan.

In March, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited India and invited Modi to the Hiroshima G7 Summit in May, which confirmed the tightened link with India. The U.S. and Japan should plan to strengthen ties with India even more, proactively utilizing a framework that includes the Quad.

On the other hand, regarding the attitude toward Russia, which is invading Ukraine, the U.S. and Japan have a different stance from India.

The joint declaration from the U.S.-India leadership also did not include any wording that criticized or sanctioned Russia. However, tacitly condoning Russia’s conduct in trampling Ukraine’s territory and sovereignty and disregarding international law will also affect India’s international reputation.

The Modi administration is again drawing criticism for suppressing political opponents and religious minorities such as Muslims in India and for restricting the media.

Biden held back on mentioning human rights issues, which demonstrated how Biden feels about India’s strategic value.

India should not be seen as having earned a “significant endorsement” from the U.S. on human rights issues. We hope that India will demonstrate appropriate conduct as the “world’s largest democracy.”