Biden and Modi meet in New Delhi ahead of G20 summit, but Xi’s shadow still looms
- The Indian prime minister and US president issue a joint statement of cooperation and engagement to maintain a ‘free, open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific’
- The decisions by Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin to skip the summit have been interpreted as snubbing Modi
Chinese President Xi Jinping is physically absent from New Delhi, but Beijing remained in the backdrop when US President Joe Biden met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday ahead of the G20 summit this weekend.
Amid escalating superpower competition between Beijing and Washington, Modi hosted Biden at his official residence shortly after he landed in the Indian capital on his first India visit since becoming president in 2021.
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According to a joint statement released by the White House, the leaders pledged to sustain engagement at government, industrial and academic “high level” to contribute to a “free, open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific”.
They also reaffirmed the importance of the Quad, a strategic security dialogue including India, US, Japan and Australia that aims to counter Beijing’s influence in the region. The next Quad leaders’ summit will be hosted by India in 2024.
Both leaders also recommitted to building “resilient technology value chains and linking defence industrial ecosystems” as well as promoting policies that “facilitate greater technology sharing, co-development, and co-production opportunities”.
In 2024, the statement added, Washington and New Delhi will also collaborate on the International Space Station, 5G and 6G technology, semiconductors and diversifying critical supply chains.