ASSESSMENTS

India Inches Closer to the U.S.

Sep 6, 2018 | 19:22 GMT

U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, left, shakes hands with Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj before the 2+2 meeting in New Delhi on Sept. 6.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, left, shakes hands with Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj before the 2+2 meeting in New Delhi on Sept. 6. India is trying to balance its relations with a number of countries, including the United States.

(PRAKASH SINGH/AFP/Getty Images)

Highlights

  • Because New Delhi must compensate for its military imbalance against China, it will strengthen its defense partnership with the United States despite issues of contention such as India's reliance on Iranian oil and Russian arms.
  • If New Delhi continues to deepen its defense partnership with the United States, it will need to reassess its adherence to strategic autonomy, possibly leading to a fundamental shift in the conduct of India's foreign policy.
  • New Delhi will aim to encourage technology transfers from key defense suppliers in support of indigenous production.
  • India will increase its purchase of U.S. weapons systems for diversification, particularly after signing a key defense agreement with the United States.

As China assumes the mantle of most powerful nation in the Eastern Hemisphere, its neighboring rival, India, is turning to the United States for help. New Delhi and Washington are strengthening their defense partnership as part of a broader effort to maintain the balance of power against China, both on the Eurasian landmass and in the Indo-Pacific. After two false starts, their 2+2 dialogue meeting on Sept. 6 -- featuring U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense James Mattis and their Indian counterparts, Sushma Swaraj and Nirmala Sitharaman -- offered a high-level format for both countries to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the relationship. India's insistence on maximizing its strategic autonomy means the relationship will not evolve as swiftly as the United States would like. But New Delhi's need to compensate for its military imbalance against China means that India will bolster the partnership nevertheless, implying...

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