Sullivan, Waltz Agree on Role of India in Ties

Joe Biden's outgoing national security advisor Jake Sullivan and Donald Trump's incoming NSA Michael Waltz have both said that China poses the single most important long-term strategic challenge to the United States, and India was a key partner for the US in this competition.

- Prashant Jha

Asked about the elements of bipartisan policy on China, among other measures, Waltz referred to his position as the co-chair of the India caucus and identified India as the critical partner for the future. Sullivan told Waltz about his recent visit to India, and how India loved Waltz and was excited to have him taking over. With his wife now elected to the US Congress, Sullivan said, "I told them I can be the chair of the House India spouses caucus," with the audience erupting in laughter.

Sullivan and Waltz were in conversation with another former NSA, Stephen Hadley, at an event titled "Passing the Baton 2025: Securing America's Future in an Era of Strategic Competition" at the US Institute of Peace in Washington DC on Tuesday.

In a sign of deep cooperation between the outgoing and incoming teams, Sullivan and Waltz said that they had spent considerable time together to make sure that America's adversaries did not think they can take advantage of this moment of transition. Waltz mentioned that both Biden and Trump had their own envoys in West Asia reporting back to their principals on the progress in Gaza ceasefire talks; Sullivan and he had been discussing cyber; and that Sullivan had candidly shared with him their approach, what worked, and what didn't.