New Delhi: “It’s really none of their business,” the United States has said, referring to China’s objections to the US-India annual joint training exercise “Yudh Abhyas 22” that ended Friday.
Washington, however, believes that it is up to New Delhi to decide how it plans to face an aggressive Beijing on the issue.
A. Elizabeth Jones, Chargé d’Affaires, US Embassy — who has served in Kabul and Baghdad among other places — said Friday the US now does maximum number of joint military exercises with India compared to its other partners.
Jones told a select group of journalists Friday that the India-US exercise was “none of their (China’s) business” when asked about the country’s objections.
Last month, as the exercises began in Uttarakhand, Beijing said the drill amounted to a violation of China-India border agreements of 1993 and 1996 and “does not help bilateral trust”.
However, on the India-China tensions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, Jones said, “It is for India to talk about (it)… The US’ interest is in supporting India’s efforts to become more capable and to assure that its capacities are directed in the ways they want. It is up to the Indian leadership to determine what it wants and what it needs and we will be supportive.”
The acting US Ambassador to India underlined the fact that the defence partnership between both countries were growing exponentially.
“This is a relationship that is growing. There is a tremendous amount of cooperation already both in terms of military exercises… We are also focussed on Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi’s desire to increase defence production as part of the ‘Make in India’ goals and there are American companies that are interested in participating in co-production kinds of initiatives,” she added.
She said there have been “constant conversations, constant meetings, constant exercises” to get a robust understanding of each other’s capabilities.
She added the US held the maximum number of joint military exercises with India compared to any other country, which is “remarkable” and “is a measure of the importance we attach to this kind of thing”.
She also said the US-India 2+2 ministerial talks would take place in 2023.
‘G20 not magic forum for having peace in Ukraine’
According to Jones, the US would support India in its current role as the G20 chair, even if that meant engaging with the Russians.
India became the President of G20 for one year from 1 December, 2022. India, Russia and the US are members of the form along with Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the European Union (EU).
“We are very energised with India taking over as the President of the G20. And I say that because it demonstrates to the international community the leadership capacity of India in a very complex world… India intends, during its G20 Presidency, to really dive into the many, many issues that are now involved in international economics, international business and all the things that affect people’s lives,” the US CDA said.
She added, “My colleagues see them (Russians) regularly in various meetings. There may not be and there isn’t a big effort to have meetings but also the G20 isn’t focussed in solving the war either. That’s not the goal of G20. So we shouldn’t look to that as some kind of a magic forum for peace in Ukraine. I firmly believe that will be done quite separately.”
On the oil cap issue, Jones said, “The goal of the policy is to reduce revenues to Russia that could be used to enhance its capacities for continuing to wage war in Ukraine.”
She also said that countries that buy oil from Russia should consider adhering to this, but added it was a “sovereign decision”.
India-US trade deal off table?
According to Jones, the two-way trade between both countries has reached $157 billion, double of what it was seven years ago.
“I am not sure that anybody believes there is a need for a free trade agreement. In any case, there is no discussion at this point (on this issue). But there is extremely detailed activity in the trade sphere and that will continue,” she said.
Under former President Donald Trump, the US and India had decided to launch negotiations for the comprehensive free trade agreement preceded by a small trade deal.
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