'Chinese assertiveness bolstered US-India ties'

China's assertive actions across the Indo-Pacific are set to bring the US closer to regional partners such as India, who are also better placed to win the race to develop the next generation of critical technologies, experts said during a session at the 21st edition of the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on Saturday.

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Minxin Pei, a non-resident senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and a leading expert on US-China relations, said that the ties between Washington and Beijing were in a "downward spiral with occasional pauses", though the leadership of both countries are not interested in or planning for an immediate conflict.

Lisa Curtis, the director of the Indo-Pacific security program at the Center for a New American Security, said the US is focusing on building up partnerships and alliances in the region in the face of China's assertiveness, including denial of air and sea access. The US-India relationship has made tremendous progress in security and technology cooperation despite occasional differences on issues such as the Ukraine war, she said.