US National Security Council (NSC) coordinator for strategic communication, John Kirby, has stated that the United States does not consider India as a counterweight to China. The statement came in response to a question at a regular White House press briefing about whether the US sees India in that role. Kirby clarified that the state visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US was not about China. He mentioned that although the US and India discussed China during the visit, the relationship between the two countries is not based on the US viewing India as a counterweight to China.
Kirby highlighted that India is a sovereign independent state with its own foreign policy that it needs to manage. He acknowledged that India faces challenges with China, both in their immediate neighborhood and in the broader region. However, Kirby made it clear that the US does not view India as a leverage against China. He mentioned that India addresses its challenges with China on its own and that the US respects India’s concerns.
Kirby also pointed out that the US welcomes India’s role as an exporter of security. He mentioned the desire to improve defense cooperation between the US and India, citing specific examples such as the co-production of jet engines and India’s purchase of MQ-9 drones from the US. Kirby stated that there is a lot that the two nations can do together in the security field.
The statement by Kirby comes as the US focuses on strengthening ties with India and the Indo-Pacific region. The US has been seeking to build partnerships to counter China’s influence and actions in the region. The US-India relationship, known as the Indo-US strategic partnership, has been growing in recent years. Both countries have expressed a shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Overall, Kirby’s statement clarifies that the US sees India as an independent sovereign state with its own foreign policy, rather than a counterweight to China. The US values India’s role as an exporter of security and seeks to strengthen defense cooperation between the two countries.
