The Indo-Pacific is dead. What did India gain? |
Last week, on 17 June, it was reported that the 'US has renamed the Indo-Pacific Command back to the Pacific Command'. This news was announced by America’s Department of War, accompanied by an incorrect map of Kashmir.
The same day, America’s president met our prime minister in France and said Modi is "a very tough negotiator... You look at this man. He's the most beautiful-looking man. He looks so nice, like an angel. But actually, he's as tough as a killer... But he looks so good. So he gets you by surprise. There are few people like this".
These two 17 June stories are somewhat related. Here is how.
In February 2018, during Donald Trump’s first term, America wrote its strategy for the region it began to call the Indo-Pacific. The aim was ‘to maintain US strategic primacy… while preventing China from establishing new, illiberal spheres of influence’. The Americans wanted India to 'act as a counterbalance to China'. This ‘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’.
Over a couple of pages, the US laid out the plan of how it would make India a ‘Major Defense Partner’ and how ‘a strong Indian military (would) effectively collaborate with the United States’. The document also laid out what was intended to be done with China: prevent it from ‘harming US competitiveness’ and ‘prevent China’s acquisition of military and strategic........