President Joe Biden&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPWxYWmxvajdnR1R3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrUW1KNGFVSm1kVWRoTURKa2FrSk5jWEl5YjNCQlVUMDk-8217;s warm reception for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi serves both leaders&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPWxYWmxvajdnR1R3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrUW1KNGFVSm1kVWRoTURKa2FrSk5jWEl5YjNCQlVUMDk-8217; domestic and foreign agendas. As they navigate challenges posed by China and Russia, they are also preparing for upcoming reelection campaigns.
While the White House insists that Modi&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPWxYWmxvajdnR1R3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrUW1KNGFVSm1kVWRoTURKa2FrSk5jWEl5YjNCQlVUMDk-8217;s visit is not about China, both the United States and India seek to showcase the robustness of their partnership on the global stage. This is particularly important since Modi has not denounced Russia&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPWxYWmxvajdnR1R3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrUW1KNGFVSm1kVWRoTURKa2FrSk5jWEl5YjNCQlVUMDk-8217;s actions in Ukraine. Former State Department policy planning staffer Paul Kapur notes that this display of unity will send a message to China. Additionally, it will enhance Modi&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPWxYWmxvajdnR1R3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrUW1KNGFVSm1kVWRoTURKa2FrSk5jWEl5YjNCQlVUMDk-8217;s legitimacy as he prepares for India&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPWxYWmxvajdnR1R3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrUW1KNGFVSm1kVWRoTURKa2FrSk5jWEl5YjNCQlVUMDk-8217;s elections next year. Domestically, the Biden administration can demonstrate that it has a strategic plan for the Indo-Pacific region.
The United States and India have grown closer since the Cold War in an effort to counterbalance China&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPWxYWmxvajdnR1R3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrUW1KNGFVSm1kVWRoTURKa2FrSk5jWEl5YjNCQlVUMDk-8217;s increasing influence in the Indo-Pacific. The visit is expected to lead to greater cooperation in critical and emerging technologies such as semiconductors, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, space, and biotechnology. However, India&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPWxYWmxvajdnR1R3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrUW1KNGFVSm1kVWRoTURKa2FrSk5jWEl5YjNCQlVUMDk-8217;s military still relies on Russia for advanced defense systems like the S-400 Triumf and Pantsir missile system.
Former deputy national security adviser Victoria Coates commends Biden for expediting arms sales to India. This includes approving the co-production of General Electric F414 engines for Indian fighter jets and the purchase of General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper drones. These steps are crucial in reducing India&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPWxYWmxvajdnR1R3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrUW1KNGFVSm1kVWRoTURKa2FrSk5jWEl5YjNCQlVUMDk-8217;s reliance on Russia and increasing interoperability with the U.S., Japan, and Australia. However, Coates also suggests that the Biden administration should focus on increasing energy exports to India, particularly natural gas, to help the country reduce its reliance on coal and decrease emissions.
The visit also presents opportunities for collaboration in other sectors. There are discussions about Micron Technology Inc. building a semiconductor plant in India, which would be a significant and substantial step. The presence of senior U.S. officials in India to finalize these agreements reflects the importance of India to Biden&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPWxYWmxvajdnR1R3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrUW1KNGFVSm1kVWRoTURKa2FrSk5jWEl5YjNCQlVUMDk-8217;s Indo-Pacific strategy.
Despite concerns about Modi&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPWxYWmxvajdnR1R3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrUW1KNGFVSm1kVWRoTURKa2FrSk5jWEl5YjNCQlVUMDk-8217;s treatment of religious minorities, the news media, and internet outages, the visit underscores the personal bond between Biden and Modi. Sadanand Dhume, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, highlights the economic and security collaboration between the two countries. This includes a renewed focus on the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue with Australia and Japan and an increase of approximately $20 billion in defense spending. The economic disparity between China and India, with China&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPWxYWmxvajdnR1R3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrUW1KNGFVSm1kVWRoTURKa2FrSk5jWEl5YjNCQlVUMDk-8217;s per capita income six times that of India, has pushed India closer to the U.S. as China becomes more assertive along their disputed border.
Aparna Pande, the director of the Hudson Institute Future of India and South Asia Initiative, believes that the visit allows Modi to be courted by the world&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPWxYWmxvajdnR1R3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrUW1KNGFVSm1kVWRoTURKa2FrSk5jWEl5YjNCQlVUMDk-8217;s leading superpower ahead of the Group of 20 summit in September and his reelection campaign next year. She highlights the need for India to address economic challenges, including labor issues, unemployment, infrastructure investment, and military modernization. If the agreements reached during the visit contribute to addressing these challenges, it would be beneficial for both India and Modi&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPWxYWmxvajdnR1R3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrUW1KNGFVSm1kVWRoTURKa2FrSk5jWEl5YjNCQlVUMDk-8217;s reelection prospects.
In conclusion, President Biden&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPWxYWmxvajdnR1R3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrUW1KNGFVSm1kVWRoTURKa2FrSk5jWEl5YjNCQlVUMDk-8217;s welcoming of Prime Minister Modi signals the importance of their alliance in addressing global challenges posed by China and Russia. The visit is expected to result in closer cooperation in critical technologies and a reduction in India&https://adarima.org/?aHR0cHM6Ly9tY3J5cHRvLmNsdWIvY2F0ZWdvcnJ5Lz93cHNhZmVsaW5rPWxYWmxvajdnR1R3QXBic0NhZGZFZUZsZ2lIbmlrUW1KNGFVSm1kVWRoTURKa2FrSk5jWEl5YjNCQlVUMDk-8217;s reliance on Russian defense systems. The personal bond between the leaders and the economic and security collaboration between their countries underscores the significance of the visit. Ultimately, it offers opportunities for both leaders to strengthen their domestic and foreign standing as they face reelection next year.
