US help along LAC

IN the first-ever acknowledgement of American assistance amid the prolonged standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane said the US provided critical intelligence and situational awareness information that helped India effectively counter Chinese ‘bullying’. Aramane said India expected its friend to be at hand whenever it needs support in the future. This appreciation of cutting-edge American help exemplifies how the India-US relationship, redefined by the emergence of Chinese regional hegemony, has evolved over the past 25 years.

The lure of the market — defence, digital and manufacturing — prompts the US to keep ties with India on an even keel. But it is also India’s rising economic and strategic heft that enables closer association with the US. Last week, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande visited the US and held discussions with his American counterpart Gen Randy George on bilateral issues and ways to enhance mutual commitment towards global peace and security. Earlier this week, US Ambassador Eric Garcetti called on the two allies to explore co-development of military hardware.

For India-US ties to grow stronger, it is necessary to remove the suspicion that either side is inching closer to China behind the other’s back. It is a sign of maturity in the India-US relations that though Washington has started a series of high-level engagements with Beijing, New Delhi has not expressed its resentment. This is because there has been no slacking of American help on the LAC, and talks on co-production of defence items have made steady progress. While irritants such as the Gurpatwant Singh Pannun case will remain, the wide array of collaborations has led the two sides to realise the importance of sticking together.

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