New Delhi: As the Biden administration shapes its foreign and national security policy, a panel of experts and former diplomats have said that India is critical to the US’ strategy in the Indo-Pacific as the two countries share a common strategic vision for it to be free and open, amidst China flexing its muscles in the region.
The experts, including former Indian foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon and President of Center for China Analysis and Strategy Jayadeva Ranade, made the comments during a virtual panel discussion organised by The Hudson Institute think-tank here.
Commenting on India’s ties with the US, Menon and Ranade emphasised that it is a critical relationship
Menon said that the relationship between the two countries “will continue to grow because strategic congruence is growing, whether on climate change, China, Indo-Pacific, or maritime security.
India regards the US as an essential partner not only in its own transformation but as the only global superpower and the two countries have a common strategic vision for free and open Indo-Pacific, he said.
US is our largest trading partner and while we have differences we know how to manage them,” Menon said.
“Since 2012, China’s active presence in South Asia, much stronger strategic commitment to Pakistan, playing a role in the internal politics of countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka and military buildup in the Indian Ocean region are problematic to India, Menon, a former Indian ambassador to China, said.
Further, China’s open opposition to India’s rise, from the NSG issue to the seat on UNSC. All of these show China is openly opposing India and is willing to be such,” said Menon, who also served as the former national security advisor under the then Manmohan Singh government.
Speaking on the occasion, Ranade said that under Chinese President Xi Jinping, China’s aim is to first establish itself as the premier power in Asia or Indo-Pacific, and second to take on and rival if not surpass the US. India stands in the way of this Chinese goal,” he said.