The fact that China[1], the world’s second largest economy after the United States, is located in the Asia-Pacific region and seeks to challenge the rules-based international order based on both the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) makes this region increasingly important.
On the other hand, this competition also has a regional perspective. This creates a serious polarization in the region, forcing states and actors to choose sides in the competition between the West and China. It can be argued that this has made the regional security environment fragile and heightened tensions.
Moreover, many actors in the region feel this compulsion to choose sides deeply and try to find a place for themselves in the emerging equations. This is because North Korea is closer to Beijing in its opposition to the US and NATO, while states such as Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Vietnam and Indonesia have adopted a pro-Western stance. This is because it is known that the US and the West aim to contain China, especially through the Taiwan Question and the disputes over the South China Sea. At the same time, it can be argued that US cooperation with these actors will strengthen Washington’s geopolitical, geostrategic and geoeconomic influence in the Asia-Pacific.
In this context, it is significant that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held a cooperation meeting with India on May 5, 2023. Austin and Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh are exploring ways to build resilient supply chains, the Indian Defense Ministry said in a statement. In the statement, it was decided to jointly develop new technologies, identify opportunities for joint production of existing and new systems, and increase cooperation between the defense ecosystems of the two countries.[2]
The statement also emphasized that regional security issues were discussed and it was agreed to strengthen operational cooperation across all military services to support India’s leading role as a security provider in the Indo-Pacific.[3]
The US Department of Defense said in a statement that the initiative aims to change the paradigm of cooperation between Washington and New Delhi’s defense sectors, including through a series of special offers that can provide India with access to the latest technologies and support New Delhi’s defense modernization plans.[4]
At this point, it is worth noting that India is the fifth largest economy[5] in the world after the US, China, Japan and Germany. Moreover, New Delhi has balanced relations with Washington and NATO. At the same time, relations between India and China are also tense. Indeed, there are many border disputes between the two actors.[6] One of the most important of these is the Kashmir issue.[7]
In this context, it can be stated that New Delhi is implementing a proactive foreign policy. Therefore, India is aiming for a much faster foreign policy making process in geopolitical, geostrategic and geoeconomic terms. As a result of this situation, New Delhi’s foreign policy in the short term may include many new collaborations and, as the US example shows, India will also strengthen its existing alliance relations.
On the other hand, India and the US are China’s most important competitors. Both states may be aiming to take advantage of the anti-Chinese sentiment by establishing a cooperation. It can be predicted that this union will provoke China and accelerate the process of unification with Taiwan. As a result, China’s growing and rising power is leading to the consolidation of the anti-Beijing front.It is possible to read the rapprochement in India-US relations in this framework.
[1] “Having Lagged far behind China for Decades, can India Replicate China’s Success in GDP Ranking Any Time soon?”, Global Times, https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202209/1274920.shtml, (Date of Accession:06.06.2023).
[2] “US Defense Secretary Discusses Upgrading Ties With India to Counter China”, Assocaited Press News, https://apnews.com/article/india-us-austin-defense-9a5d63097acf0957aa640ae186aaa0c3, (Date of Accession: 06.06.2023).
[3] Ibid.
[4] “US’ Austin Eyeing Upgraded India Ties to Counter China”, Taipei Times, https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2023/06/06/2003801051, (Date of Accession:06.06.2023).
[5] “The World’s Largest Economies”, World Data Info, https://www.worlddata.info/largest-economies.php, (Date of Accession: 05.06.2023).
[6] “India Rejects China’s Renaming of Places Alog Disputed Border”, Voice of America News, https://www.voanews.com/a/india-rejects-china-s-renaming-of-places-along-disputed-border-/7035340.html, (Date of Accession:05.06.2023).
[7] “China and Saudi Arabia Boycott G20 Meeting Held by India in Kashmir”, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/22/china-saudi-arabia-boycott-g20-meeting-india-kashmir, (Date of Accession:05.06.2023).
