The declassification of the Indo-Pacific region policy fashioned by the Trump Administration in the last four years is significant in that it stresses on America’s resolve to support India at multiple levels in the context of the present border and other problems between the two giant Asian nations. The policy as such was broadly known and there’s no surprise other than in the timing of its release – just days before curtains finally fall on the Trump term in the White House.
The policy promises diplomatic, military and intelligence support to India as and when required to enable it to take on its red neighbour bent on expansion of its territories both on land and in the sea. The Galwan Valley offensive by China, which took place on June 15 last and killed 20 soldiers, has worsened India’s ties with China that had seemed to improve during the first term of the Modi governance. The aggressiveness displayed by China reinforced what was already known to New Delhi – that the ‘dragon’ cannot be trusted.
The 1962 War, another unprovoked offensive by China against India, is fresh in our minds. Yet, India perhaps erred in courting the red nation yet again even as large swathes of captured Indian land are still with China. The result is also that China virtually dominates India’s domestic market, deeply hurting this nation’s own manufacturing sector.
Till the turn of this century, China and India were on a somewhat equal footing in terms of economic and military strengths. Now, China has five times the strength of India in military prowess with a matching economic might. Taking on China alone will not be possible for India though Indian soldiers at ground level have demonstrated a superior might vis-à-vis the Chinese People’s Liberation Army soldiers in any one-on-one fight. India kept getting valuable information from the US intelligence about Chinese designs on the northern border as also in the seas. At the diplomatic level too, India is getting significant support from the US at UN and related global fora. A reassurance from the just declassified document, which was originally meant for release only 22 years later, is that such support can be expected from the new administration of successor Joe Biden too.
Perhaps, this was the intention of the Trump Administration to release this document at this point so as to tie the Biden team too to following the same course as pursued by Trump. At the same time, Indian responses to Chinese border offensives remain guarded, and appreciably so.
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