Strategic Blunder

In February 2018 the Trump White House drew up the ‘US strategic framework for the Indo-Pacific’. This paper, declassified in January 2021, says America’s intent is ‘to maintain US strategic primacy ... while preventing China from establishing new, illiberal spheres of influence’.

- Aakar Patel

It says China’s rise will change the region and challenge US influence globally, and concludes that ‘a strong India, in cooperation with likeminded countries, would act as a counterbalance to China’. To this end, the ‘desired end state’ the US sought, was to be ‘India’s preferred partner on security issues’, and ‘the two cooperate to preserve maritime security and counter China’s influence’.

America’s objective was the creation of a quadrilateral (‘Quad’) framework that would pull in the navies of India, Japan, Australia and the US as the ‘principal hubs’ ranged against China. This plan would make India a ‘Major Defense Partner’ and ‘a strong Indian military (would) effectively collaborate with the United States’ and ‘prevent China’s acquisition of military and strategic capabilities’.

Why was India signing up for this? It is not clear. With no discussion in parliament, with no interviews to the media and no press conferences, with no reference to this in his manifestos, Modi began drifting India into this strategic partnership and military alliance with the US.