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China looms over high-level talks as US, India sign defence pact
- The agreement will allow Washington and New Delhi to share satellite data for use in attacks and better surveillance against adversaries
- US state secretary Pompeo and defence secretary Esper took a harder line on China than India’s external affairs minister Jaishankar and defence minister Singh
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Kunal Purohitin Mumbai
India and the United States on Tuesday signed a military agreement that will allow them to share sensitive satellite data, with both sides hailing a new era of cooperation amid efforts to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper were in New Delhi for an annual strategic dialogue with their counterparts, India’s Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Across two days, the high-level meetings, including one with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were focused on stability in the region and different aspects of the bilateral relationship.
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Pompeo warns of China threat as US and India sign defence pact
Pompeo warns of China threat as US and India sign defence pact
But from maintaining a “free and open” Indo-Pacific to a push towards formalising the Quad – the loose security grouping of the US, India, Japan and Australia – as well as creating “more trusted and resilient” global supply chains, China was a constant and conspicuous presence throughout.
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On a visit to New Delhi earlier this month, US Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun had called China the “elephant in the room” in the US-India relationship. On Tuesday, as details emerged of the meetings, both countries seemed to have taken note.
Pompeo and Esper, in a reflection of US President Donald Trump’s efforts to be tough on Beijing, took a hard line on China. At the outset of the meeting, Pompeo said the two sides had “a lot to discuss today, from cooperating on defeating the pandemic that originated in Wuhan, to confronting the Chinese Communist Party’s threats to security and freedom, to promoting peace and stability throughout the region”.
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The US secretary of state said at a later press conference that there had been “robust discussions on the Chinese Communist Party”, adding that it was “no friend to democracy”. Backing New Delhi in its current stand-off with Beijing, Pompeo said the US would “stand with India as they confront threats to their sovereignty and liberty”.
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