China's aggression & LAC standoff on Blinken's India agenda as US officials tour Asia

China’s rise and its aggressive international ambitions, together with the continuing Line of Actual Control (LAC) standoff in Ladakh.  

It will probably be amongst key gadgets on US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken‘s agenda when he meets his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar and NSA A Okay Doval on Wednesday. Jaishankar is predicted to appraise Blinken concerning the present state of affairs alongside the LAC, together with the disengagement course of, in keeping with individuals conversant in the matter. The large image of China’s international aggression could also be among the many speaking factors.

India and China are anticipated to make progress on the subsequent spherical of Corp Commander degree talks on disengagement at Gogra and Hot Spring flash factors. India seeks complete de-escalation of tensions.

Washington views India as serving to in US efforts to face as much as China’s more and more assertive behaviour in Asia and past. Blinken’s journey follows a go to by Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman to China and coincides with one to Southeast Asia by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin because the USA seeks to bolster its presence within the Indo-Pacific area.

China, throughout Sherman’s go to, accused the US of oppressing Beijing and urged Washington to take away sanctions and tariffs. Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated it was as much as the US to “make the right choice.” He made the feedback throughout talks with Sherman, who stated Washington was not in search of battle with China.

Tensions between each nations have been excessive lately. Last week, China imposed sanctions on a number of US people and organisations, together with former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.

However, Chinese-state-run Global Times is of the opinion that India could not totally cooperate with the US on constructing an anti-China coalition. “While the US intends to seek support from India on a number of issues, the South Asian country may not be as cooperative, given the rising internal conflicts between the two sides concerning Afghanistan, vaccine distribution and human rights issues,” in keeping with a Global Times report printed on the eve of Blinken’s India journey.

Wu Xinbo, director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, informed the Global Times on Monday “Seeing that India has common interests with the US on exerting influence in the Indo-Pacific region, Washington is trying to win over India to contain China.”

However, Long Xingchun, a senior analysis fellow with the Academy of Regional and Global Governance on the Beijing Foreign Studies University, informed the Global Times on Monday, “One of the major quarrels New Delhi and Washington are having is the US decision to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, which has left India’s investment in the region for the past 20 years hanging in the air.”

Meanwhile in a reality sheet launched on eve of Blinken go to, US State Dept famous that India is a number one international energy and a key U.S. companion within the Indo-Pacific and past. The reality sheet additionally referred to defence ties. “U.S.-India defense cooperation is reaching new heights, including through information sharing, liaison officers, increasingly complex exercises like Malabar, and defense enabling agreements, such as the secure communications agreement COMCASA. As of 2020, the United States has authorized over $20 billion in defense sales to India. 

Through the U.S.-India Defense Technology and Trade Initiative, the United States and India work together on co-production and co-development of defense equipment. The United States and India are also closely coordinating on regional security issues, such as Afghanistan.”