With an increase in tensions between India and China along the disputed border in the Himalayas, the US is helping India keep an eye on China’s military. In October, the US and India signed a new defense pact that allows the US to share more satellite data with New Delhi.
At an event in November, the head of US Pacific Air Forces spoke of the increased military cooperation. “From the real-world standpoint, we’ve gotten closer this year with India, especially on the intelligence sharing, particularly related to the situation that’s occurring on their northeast border with China,” Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach said, according to Business Insider.
“We’ve been doing quite a bit of intelligence sharing, as much as we can, with them to help out our great friend, India,” he added. Over the summer, a clash broke out between Chinese and Indian troops along the border, the first deadly incident between the two militaries in decades.
The deal signed in October, known as the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA), allows gives India access to topographical, nautical, and aeronautical data. The intelligence could also be used for Indian missile strikes. When BECA was first inked, India’s Economic Times said the deal will give Indian missiles a “killer edge.”
With the Trump administration’s focus on China, building stronger security partnerships in the region has become a priority. The incoming Biden administration is expected to continue building alliances to counter Beijing, and even NATO is looking to get in on the action. NATO recently released a report that recommended the alliance form a partnership with India to counter Beijing.
India, the US, Japan, and Australia form the informal alliance known as the Quad. In November, the four countries participated in military drills together for the first time in over a decade. The Indian-led Malabar exercises were held off India’s coast.
In previous years, India has been hesitant to allow Australia to participate in the exercises for fear of sending the wrong message to Beijing. But with tensions high over the disputed border and more military support from the US, India decided to allow all of the Quad countries to participate in a show of force aimed at China.
It is called wishful thinking. The conflict between India and China is pure theater. So is the conflict between India and Pakistan. Modi took over a country that was always a geopolitical dwarf, due to its many internal contradictions. China, Russia, India and Pakistan are PERMANENT members of SCO. What makes us think they are not having strategies for reducing vulnerabilities and in increasing internal cohesion?
India due to its size and population is going to be the “third leg” of Eurasian stool, along with Russia and China.
But India has dozens of languages and religions. It has never established a strong national identity. And it must cooperate with US, both for economic reasons as well as security reasons.
The show in Himalayas is just that — a show. Up there in freezing wastelands the two sides are watching each other, and the rules of engagement are simple — no firearms. Last conflict between the two was over a perceived crossing of the line in snow, and was fought with sticks, stones and fists. The show between India and Pakistan over Kashmir is about dismantling colonial structures put in place that insured on-going conflict. The strident rhetoric
The strident rhetoric is paradoxically forming a more unified nation — with the attendant risk of alienating some. But the net result is still a new nation, not a patchwork of nationalities and religions.
Not all populism is the same. In US, it divided the nation, as the flawed personality of Trump excess turned away even those who in principle supported him. Populism — a sum total of what people wish, but elite does not want to hear — is on the rise. A definitive proof that ruling elites are out of touch.
It is thus a wishful thinking to expect India going as far as to harm China, its partner in SCO. No, India will extend many a curtesy to US in the region. Any action that would benefit India, but not harm others. As US pushes those red lines — it will be harder and harder for India to remain Us partner.
India will, eventually, along with China and Russia, provide the leadership to Eurasian integration.
bullshit, when NATO responds to china after china does something stupid, India will side with NATO
( U.S.), and if you really think the free world will let the GODLESS totalitarian communist sneaky chinese take the lead , we’ll your not very bright then are you ?. America will nuke those sneaky clowns, and if don’t think the U.S. will do it , just ask around. SCO ? Don’t make me laugh. you copy and paste warriors are just clueless
you really are as insane as the americans , any nuclear launch from the US will result in WW3 and the turning into ash of the USA and it`s allies and the rest of the world fairing no better .
Hope you are right however once you let the US in it is allmost impossible to get rid of them they dig in like ticks on a hound.
India has more than 400 languages, China more than 300, Russia 100 living languages…Modi enjoys an approval rating of more than 80%—this suggests a cohesive identity
Yeh it`s probably modi who say`s he has 80% the majority of Indians live in abject poverty while modi and his ilke live in luxury 80% yeh right lol.
India attempts to manage cautiously. They have poor relations w Pakistan and distanced relations w China. They have many internal divisions, religious, political, linguistic. Some regions are communist others managed by Modi’s ruling party. While great improvements have occurred in the past 25 years they do not match the improvements observed in China/Russia in the past 20 years