Developments on the LAC, an eyeopener for India: Chief of US Indo-Pacific command

Washington: – A virtual meeting of QUAD will be held on 12th March. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will be attending the meeting. White House Press Secretary Jane Psaki made this announcement. Great strategic significance is being attached to this QUAD meeting regarding the threat created due to increasing Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region. Admiral Phillips Davidson, Chief of the US Indo-Pacific Command, claimed that the Line of Actual Control (LAC) developments in Ladakh were eyeopeners for India. Moreover, it will now cooperate more with QUAD for its own security.

Admiral Davidson gave this information while speaking in front of the Foreign Relations Committee of the US Congress before the QUAD meeting. For the last many years, India having a non-aligned stand, tried to maintain the sovereignty of its foreign policy. But now India has apparently realised the importance of cooperating with other countries in security matters. Especially, the developments on the LAC in Ladakh have proved to be an eyeopener for India. Admiral Davidson expressed confidence that India will cooperate more with QUAD for its security in the coming times. Admiral Davidson also gave important information that the United States supplied the necessary assistance when the Indian and Chinese soldiers were involved in a standoff on the LAC in Ladakh.

Admiral Davidson clarified that the United States supplied warm clothes and tents and other materials necessary for protection from the Ladakh cold to India. The United States also supplied India with certain sensitive information. The United States is also developing cooperation in marine security with India. Admiral Davidson claimed that this Indian cooperation provides a strategic opportunity for the United States, Australia and Japan. These claims made by a senior US official before the QUAD meeting become very significant.

While the tensions were high on the LAC in Ladakh, with China, India had rejected the mediation proposal given by the then US President Donald Trump. Admiral Davidson tried to underline the importance of US-India cooperation, for Indian security, with a retort that India must have realised the importance of cooperating with the United States by now.

Simultaneously, saying that India will play a more responsible role in QUAD, Admiral Davidson indicated that India was reluctant for this in the past. But the Indian statesmen are accusing that the United States itself was not keen on the QUAD cooperation.

During the tenure of Barack Obama as President, aggressive Chinese activities had increased in the Indo-Pacific region. The United States chose to ignore them at that time. Moreover, the United States was not too willing to rein in aggressive Chinese activities, even afterwards. But after Donald Trump took over as the President, he started moves to stop China and increased military cooperation with India. The LEMOA, COMCASA and BEKA agreements were signed between India and the United States during President Trump’s tenure. Although current President joe Biden is claiming to take this cooperation forward, analysts are doubtful whether he will take decisions against China in real times. In this scenario, Admiral Davidson’s commentary regarding India seems to be ignoring all these issues.