India will be the key nation for US to stop China if Taiwan war breaks out

Washington: If China attacks Taiwan, India, along with Japan, will play a vital role in stopping China. Even if India did not come out in favour of the US in this war after China invaded Taiwan, India could support the US tactics by opening a front against China, said Admiral Michael Gilday, a senior US Navy officer. Due to this reason, he visited India more times than any other country. Admiral Gilday added that he considers them a future strategic partner for the US.

Admiral Gilday was speaking at a program organised by the Heritage Foundation in Washington. The warships of the Indian Navy in the Indian Ocean region are significant for the United States. This does not allow China to focus entirely on the Taiwan Strait. Meanwhile, China tried to challenge India on the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. Therefore, India can simultaneously engage China on two fronts as it tries to capture Taiwan. That is why India is vital in US strategy and US policymakers have a special attraction to India, Admiral Gilday explained.

For this reason, I have not visited any other country till now, as much as I’ve visited India, Admiral Gilday said. Nikkei Asia, a news agency in Japan, has published a news article about this. The news agency recalled that a former US Pentagon official said India would not abandon its neutral policy and enter a US-led war over Taiwan. However, India can shock China by launching a second front against it. This will be a ‘two-front war’ for China. Elbridge Colby, a former Pentagon official, claimed that this could cost China dearly.

The Chinese military could not withstand the harsh Ladakh climate and Colby claimed that India could take advantage of this situation. In 2018, Colby warned that the United States and Japan would need India against China. Other analysts have also pointed out that India, which has a direct border with China and has tremendous military power, is a vital strategic partner for the United States. President Biden’s administration has also consistently maintained that India is an irreplaceable strategic partner of the United States.

However, by excluding India and setting aside the QUAD, the Biden administration has opened alliances with other countries against China in the Indo-Pacific region. So instead of strengthening QUAD cooperation, the Biden administration appears to be giving more importance to other US interests. However, the US defence forces repeatedly emphasised the importance of India, and Admiral Gilday’s remarks testify this.