What do you think about the US and India relations? Why did Narendra Modi visit us?
In 1990s, India and USA were at loggerheads diplomatically on most global issues. India often accused USA Secretary of state Madeleine Albright and others in 1990s that they openly takes Pakistan’s side. USA’s official statements appear to be drafted by Pakistan and always ignored India’s geo-political concerns. This is because Pakistan was a USA ally during cold war days and supported USA in Afghan war against Soviets. In early 1990s, India and the United States were two ‘estranged democracies’ trying to re-discover mutually after decades of mutual suspicion during cold war decades. After breakup of Soviet Union in 1991, India launched ‘look east policy’ for close co-operation with South East Asian (AEAN) countries and sole super power USA.
Fast forward to recent Indian PM Modi’s June 2023 USA official visit joint statement on Pakistan. US and India on strongly condemned cross-border terr0rism and the use of terr0rist proxies and called on Pakistan (by taking name directly) to take immediate action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for launching terrorist attacks, according to US-India joint statement. They reiterated the call for concerted action against all UN-listed terrorist groups including Al-Qaida, ISIS/Daesh, Lashkar e-Tayyiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Hizb-ul-Mujhahideen. Both countries stood together to counter global terr0rism and unequivocally condemn terr0rism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations. They called for the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks to be brought to justice, read the statement. Earlier, PM Modi had highlighted the need to fight terrorism and extremism that constitutes a real threat to democracy, the rule of law and the enjoyment of human rights. Speaking during a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden, PM Modi said, "India and USA are walking shoulder to shoulder in the fight against terr0rism and extremism. We agree that concerted action is necessary to end cross-border terr0rism."
They welcomed the cooperation between the two governments on counter-terr0rism designations and homeland security cooperation, including intelligence sharing and law enforcement cooperation. Both leaders called upon the Financial Action Task Force to undertake further work identifying how to improve global implementation of its standards to combat money laundering and the financing of terr0rism. They reiterated their strong support for a peaceful, secure, and stable Afghanistan. They discussed the current humanitarian situation and concurred on the need to continue to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan. The leaders urged the Taliban to abide by UNSC Resolution 2593 which demands that Afghan territory should never be used to threaten or attack any country, shelter or train terrorists, or plan or finance terrorist attacks, added the statement. Committing to continue close consultations on the situation in Afghanistan, the leaders emphasized the importance of the formation of an inclusive political structure and called on the Taliban to respect the human rights of all Afghans, including women and girls, and to respect freedom of movement.
The joint statement was like bolt from the blue for Pakistani government because it appeared drafted by Indian officials. There was meltdown in Pakistan. Ex-PM Imran Khan highlighted Indian PM Modi’s statement dismissive of Pakistan’s future as state which will implode from inside and has successfully reduced Pakistan to a ‘promoter of cross-border terrorism in India’ and nothing more". Pakistan registered a protest by summoning its Islamabad based diplomat. USA subsequently maintained that they are committed to terr0rist threat in Pakistan.
Clearly, USA has abandoned Pakistan where it pumped huge money via CIA in 1980s to fight guerrilla war with Soviets in Afghanistan. This is a major diplomatic win for India.
Now let’s look at USA-China-India relations which is most important geo-political play today.
In a strong message to China, Indian PM Modi has stated that India is fully prepared and committed to protecting its sovereignty and dignity amid the ongoing standoff between the Indian Army and the People's Liberation Army on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Modi made this comment in an interview with the US-based newspaper, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), prior to his departure for the United States on 20 June 2023. Speaking about India's relations with China, he emphasized, ‘For normal bilateral ties with China, peace and tranquility in the border areas are essential.’
Just before PM Modi’s USA visit, a senior Biden administration official on said India’s ‘growing commitment to playing a more engaged international role, including in the Indo-Pacific Quad, demonstrates a new and growing willingness’ to join Washington in “protecting and advancing a shared vision of a free, open and rule-based global order as a strong maritime democracy”. He said, New Delhi and Washington have a strong interest in stabilizing the Asian balance of power and coping with the geopolitical churn triggered by China’s rise and Beijing’s assertiveness in Asia. This state (Modi’s) visit is not about China. And it’s not about sending a message to China.
A senior Biden administration official during PM Modi’s official USA trip in June 2023 said there was ‘no partner more consequential now and into the future than India’ when thinking about the future of AI, computing, building resilient supply chains for clean energy technologies, semiconductors and other critical and emerging technology. India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem, also called Indus X, was launched to facilitate joint innovation on defence technologies, and accelerate the integration of India’s fledgling private sector defence industry with the US industrial complex.
Can India and USA cooperate together to regain technology leadership when China is fast emerging a leader in technology sector? There was similar hope in 2008 when India and USA signed nuclear deal. But nothing much happened on strategic cooperation after that even. UPA government led by Dr. Manmohan Singh was pulled down by policy paralysis and leftist and communists who strongly opposed India-USA nuclear deal. This time chances are much better because USA-China rivalry is at its peak now. India is fifth largest economy (nominal method) and hope to reach third top position by 2027-28. China stabbed India on its back many times since independence but always talks sweet and advices India not to go close to USA.
In a strong pitch to US entrepreneurs, PM Modi said ‘this is the moment’ to invest in India as governments of both countries have done the groundwork for businesses and companies to take advantage of the opportunity and to ‘play and proposer’. Addressing business leaders and philanthropists from India and the US as well as other prominent members of the Indian-American community at the Kennedy Centre here on 23 June 2023, he stressed that the India-US partnership is not of convenience but one of conviction, shared commitments and compassion. Modi highlighted the profound transformation currently underway in India and the strides being made in various sectors, the prime minister invited the professionals to forge partnerships with India. Modi said, ‘In Washington DC, had an engaging interaction with leading professionals across various fields.’
As PM Modi landed in USA, China blocked a proposal by India and the US at the UN to designate Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist Sajid Mir, wanted for his involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, as a global terrorist. China, in recent months, has blocked several bids to designate several terrorists based in Pakistan. In October last year, Beijing put on hold a proposal to list Talha Saeed, son of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed. This bid was moved by India and co-supported by the US, under the 1267 sanction regime. It was the fifth time that China has blocked an India-US proposal in recent months, Lashkar-e-Taiba member Shahid Mahmood in October, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Sajid Mir in September, LeT and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) leader Abdul Rehman Makki in June, as well as Abdul Rauf Azhar in August, the brother of Jaish-e Mohammed (JEM) chief Masood Azhar, were protected by Beijing. It is clear that China is pushing India towards USA.
India has hit out at China for blocking a move to designate Pakistan-based LeT leader Sajid Mir as a ‘global terrorist’ by the UN, saying it shows a lack of genuine political will to fight the scourge of terr0rism. In a strongly-worded statement, Joint Secretary at India's permanent mission in New York Prakash Gupta said on Tuesday if efforts to ban terrorists fail due to ‘petty geopolitical interests, then we really do not have the genuine political will to sincerely fight this challenge of terrorism’. ‘The first and most critical gap we feel addressing is avoiding double standards, and this self-defeating justification of good terrorists versus bad terrorists. A terror act is a terror act, plain and simple. Any justification of any kind being used should not be countenanced by anybody,’ he said at United Nation's counter-terror meeting. In this day and age of accountability and transparency, can evidence-based listing proposals be blocked without giving any reason? Gupta asked. He said India has fought against terrorists in practically real-time on a daily basis. ‘While the 9/11 terror bombings in this iconic city of New York had changed the landscape of the global counter-terrorism architecture, the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks shook the collective conscience of the world's largest democracy,’ he said.
Just hours before Modi landed in Washington, Biden claimed he had told Chinese President Xi Jinping that the Quad was aimed at ensuring that “international air and sea lines remain open”. ‘So now we have India, Australia, Japan and the United States working hand in glove in the South China Sea,’ he told Xi. Biden said on that Xi had been concerned by the so-called Quad strategic security group. He previously told Xi the US was not trying to encircle China with the Quad. ‘He called me and told me not to do that because it was putting him in a bind,’ Biden said.
Next day Biden blamed Xi as ‘dictator’. This has further complicated USA-China-India triangular relationship. China's state-owned media has slammed USA for what it quotes as ‘pushing India and ramping up its efforts to harass China's economic progress’. China is playing a dangerous game; on one hand, it is talking about stabilisation of relations with the US as Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Xi Jinping. On the other hand, China's highest-ranking foreign policy official, Wang Yi, wrote an editorial calling the visit, US attempts to ‘use India as a bulwark’ against China.
China called comments by US President Joe Biden referring to Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a dictator ‘extremely absurd and irresponsible.’ Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Biden's comments at a fundraiser event in California go totally against facts and seriously violate diplomatic protocol, and severely infringe on China's political dignity. It is a blatant political provocation. China expresses strong dissatisfaction and opposition
The timing by US President Biden to call Chinese leader ’dictator’ when Indian PM Modi is visiting USA suggest there is strategic change in USA towards India. USA Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s China visit followed immediately by PM Modi’s USA visit also shows strategic convergence between India and USA.
Picture source: Google / Respective rightful owner
Comments
Post a Comment