As Narendra Modi arrives in US, White House says invitation ‘is not about sending a message to China’
- India is a key partner ‘not just in the Indo-Pacific but globally’, according to US National Security Council spokesman
- The Indian leader will hold talks with Biden and address a joint session of Congress before a state dinner at the White House
A White House official hailed the significance of Washington’s partnership with New Delhi on Tuesday as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in New York for his first state visit to the United States. His trip comes as US President Joe Biden’s administration looks to forge closer ties with India to counter China’s rising political and economic clout in Asia and beyond.
Calling India a “key and important partner, not just in the Indo-Pacific but globally”, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the US-India relationship was “one of the most defining and important bilateral relationships in the world now”.
The remarks came a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded high-level meetings in Beijing as the US tries to prevent rising tensions with China from spiralling into a wider conflict.
Kirby responded with a terse “no” when asked if the invitation to Modi was also a message to Beijing. “This state visit is not about China. And it’s not about sending a message to China,” he said, adding that it was about “sending a message to the Indian people that we put a premium on this relationship”.
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US and India agree on defence cooperation road map in the face of China’s regional influence
He also said that Washington was looking to “deepen”, “broaden” and “improve” defence cooperation with New Delhi.