The U.S and India grow closer together as they are planning to sign off on a military agreement this week. The agreement would fortify cooperation in the Pacific and Indian oceans in an attempt to collaborate and work against China.
The agreement known as the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement, or BECA, would provide India with access to advanced American maps and satellite images. These advanced images would improve the accuracy of India’s automated weapons, drones, and missiles.
In times of heightened tension between the U.S. and China, the U.S. is all too happy to aid India who is also whose hostility with China is quickly rising. India-U.S relations have been steadily improving over the past few years, particularly in regards to nuclear and defense trade. Now, it seems, the U.S is largely focused on improving maritime cooperation with island countries in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Trump’s administration is working quickly to further relations with India ahead of the election as hostility with China steadily increases. As Harsh V. Pant, head of strategic affairs at Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation, noted: “The fact that the U.S. is spending so much diplomatic capital on enhancing ties with India when an election is a week away underscores the growing maturity of Indo-U.S. engagement and the fact that China’s rise is a challenge that cannot wait for the electoral cycle to get over.” Though this administration may be especially harsh with China, I wonder how relations with both India and China will shift should Trump lose.
Roy, Rajesh, and William Mauldin. “U.S., India Expected to Sign Military Pact as China Prompts Closer Ties.” The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones & Company, 25 Oct. 2020, www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-india-expected-to-sign-military-pact-as-china-prompts-closer-ties-11603623601.