The recent India-US military bonhomie seems to have touched a raw nerve with China, which claims that New Delhi’s bid to join the Washington alliance could bring “strategic troubles” to the region.
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The U.S. and India signed a military cooperation agreement Monday that will allow both nations the use of each other’s land, air and naval bases for fix and replenishment of supplies with streamlined reimbursement.
To share each other’s military bases for repairs and resupplies; however, both sides clarified it will not involve setting up of military bases.
“We appreciate the decision of the United States government to designate India a major defence partner”.
Unmindful of the clarification, Beijing saw red and the agreement was criticised by a leading Chinese state-run daily, which warned that New Delhi may irritate Beijing if it “joins the U.S. alliance system”.
The clarification was issued through a series of tweets posted from defence ministry’s official Twitter handle.
The writing is on the wall and it speaks out clearly that India is fast moving closer to becoming a military ally of the United States, whether it means distancing from Russian Federation or not but certainly angering China.
The Left party alleged that by signing such an agreement, India had acquired the formal status of a military ally of the US.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, during a meeting with the Pentagon reporters in the United States on Tuesday, said that forces from Pakistan are trying to fuel tensions in Kashmir, which is grappling with violence.
“It is possible that the Modi administration is trying an unconventional way to lean toward the USA with the logistics agreement, “the editorial reads”.
Carter further said the agreement will be a “very substantial enabler” for the two countries to work together.
Tyagi said as per the agreement signed, the USA armed forces can now use India naval and airbases for logistics support, refuelling and other services on regular basis.
But Mr Parrikar summed up the change in priorities – strategic and military – in his opening statement at the joint press conference with Mr Carter at Washington: “Indeed, defence cooperation between India and the USA has never been stronger than it is today”. “At the same time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi not going to Venezuela to attend the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit has already made it clear that he has no more trust in NAM”, JD-U Spokesman K.C. Tyagi said.
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The signing of the logistics agreement indicates the priority Mr Modi’s government places on a closer defence relationship with the U.S., said Mr Benjamin Schwartz, who until past year, was the India country director at the Pentagon.
