28 May 2020, NIICE Commentary 4896
Amal M
Indo-China relations had not been seen with a meaningful outcome, however had huge impacts in the world order. Even though India was the first nation to recognise People’s Republic of China, and many leaders quote Panchsheel as the fundamental principles of the relations, India and China had not been able to get through their differences, rather had enough skirmishes. However, with Xi Jinping’s visit to India to attend the Sino-Indian leaders summit at Chennai, Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi had come to conclusions on cooperation between the two nations in several fields, commemorating the 70 years old relationship between the two nations. Quite later to that, President Donald Trump visited India upon the invitation of Narendra Modi on 24-25 February 2020, and came to conclusions of a widely integrated and converged US India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership
The Comprehensive Strategic Partnership had been initiated by Manmohan Singh and Barack Obama during 2013, while Modi and Trump had become the signatories to make the deal concluded, and be brought into effect. The partnership looks into several fields of cooperation and assistance between the US and India and seems promising to the development of both the economies. The partnership covers defence and security cooperation, with both countries dealing on maritime and space domain information and technology sharing, joint cooperation, exchange of military liaison personnel, advanced training and exercises of all services and special forces, co-development and co-production of advanced defence equipment, and also a nuclear deal. The US is affirming India’s status as a Major Defence Partner through these collaborations. The partnership also deals with cooperation to jointly fight international crimes like human trafficking, terrorism and violent extremism, drug trafficking and crimes in cyberspace. The cooperation and assistance in trade and investment dimensions is looking for a long term stability of both the economies. With significant assistance in science and technology and innovation, even in energy sectors, educational collaboration and educational exchange opportunities, the US and India is looking for the incorporation of young innovators and talents to be brought into development sphere. Modi and Trump also decided on a Memorandum of Understanding to prevent, early detection and rapid outbreak response to pandemic like novel COVID-19. The maritime cooperation between the two nations are focusing on the Indo-Pacific region especially, through recognition of ASEAN centrality, adherence to international law and good governance, support for safety and freedom of navigation, unimpeded lawful commerce, and peaceful resolution of maritime disputes. Modi and Trump also took a note on efforts to meaningful Code of Conduct in South China Sea. The Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership assures the US’s support to India for a permanent membership on a reformed UN Security Council, and an entry back to the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
Why India?
Looking at the critical side of the comprehensive partnership between India and the US, it is very much evident that this relation had been tightened under the rising the US-China rivalry, and Chinese aspirations of establishing a global hegemony. The Sino-US rivalry started with the financial crisis, but got into limelight when Xi Jinping announced to make China a super power in 2013. This was finally made into international talk when Trump labelled China as a strategic competitor and imposed tariffs, on Chinese goods. Trump also ordered American companies to leave China and rather look towards India as an alternative. The US had always been skeptical of China’s rise and its surge towards becoming a global power had been a threat to the US led World order. In order to reduce the rate of China’s rise, the US needed a partner, and they had no other option, but India. It is undoubtedly clear that the US-India Relations are having good turning points, only when Sino-US relations are at the worst tipping point. Hence, it is the US-China rivalry which led India to make a decision of alignment with the US.
As a developing state, India needs investments and technology, and considering the trends in the global order, there is no other option for Modi rather than the US. Looking on the other side, India is also ambitious of becoming a global great power, however, Trump does not see that potential or prowess arising out of India any time soon, compared to China’s potentials. Modi’s failed system experiments had also proved that India would be anchoring towards a partner to collaborate with development. Modi and his government had failed Indian economy in several ways in the past few years, like with his unconventional experiments like demonetisation, and plunged Indian economy to the level of having a need of lending hand. The US sees this opportunity as the best suited to lend assistance to India, as a global leader, realizing the needs of India to compromise, rather than being a significant player in shaping a world order.
“As the leaders of sovereign and vibrant democracies recognising the importance of freedom, equal treatment of all citizens, human rights, and a commitment to the rule of law, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi vowed to strengthen the US India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, anchored on mutual trust, shared interests, goodwill and a robust engagement of their citizens.” This is what Washington DC sees New Delhi’s inclusion to the US’ muzzled rivalry against China. The irony still prevails where both the leaders had been labelled as the propagators of hypocrisy, as Modi through his measures against anti-CAA protestor in his “vibrant democracy recognising the importance of freedom, equal treatment of all citizens.” Moreover, both the countries had already failed in one of their commitments in the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the rapid outbreak response to pandemic. The coronavirus has undoubtedly thwarted the global economy, however, it is the US which is taking the most impacts. The US led Europe had already fell into despair, and both Modi and Trump is failing day by day to prove as worthy leaders. Trump is always ready to put the blame on China, meanwhile India had been cautious of not blaming China for the outbreak. However, even the coronavirus task force set up by Modi labelled Modi’s decisions as failed, and Modi is only trying to resurrect as a reformer from his image of an anti-Muslim extremist. The economic package recently announced could be seen as an evidence to such reformist intentions, in the domestic audience as well as the international community.
Future of India-China Relations
With Modi on power, India is consistently showing decline in its potentials and therefore, needs a supporting platform to step on. The comprehensive strategic global partnership has already made India as an ally to the US in its efforts to curb China’s rise as a global power. Even though India has not been made it visible that India is against China, Modi and his government would back the US in all possible ways to reduce the rate of Chinese hegemony. However, with the outbreak of Coronavirus, the whole global order would be turned upside down. The US had lost in all manner as the saviour of the international system, rather is facing difficulties in its own stance. The European Union would lose its importance in the world order. Meanwhile, China would definitely lead as the new global power, even though China’s assistance and support to different nations is still seen critically, as in with the economic package to nations and medical assistance were used to establish Chinese hegemony. Regarding India, as India had not been pointing towards China, but still held up some disparaging actions against China like refusing China’s offer of assistance with the pandemic, India would face to continue with several more backslashes in India-China relations. The alignment with the US could have been better for India, if the crisis would not have placed India’s efficiency and the US’ global leader status at a point of uncertainty.
