U.S. India China Triangle
The United States wishes India well in its efforts to improve strained ties with China. That’s what the number-two U.S. diplomat said on Wednesday. He also cautioned that Chinese leader Xi Jinping finds it very hard to show any flexibility on territorial issues. Specifically, Campbell was responding to what India’s External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Tuesday. As a matter of fact, after assuming office for a second term, he said India would focus on finding solutions to border issues with China.
At first, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell was asked at a Washington think tank about Jaishankar’s comments. “The truth is that anytime two countries can find a degree of the common space to reduce tensions, I think we have to support that,” he said. “I think we wish the Indians well in deliberations,” he added. Before going on to say that Washington was “very confident and comfortable” about its own bilateral relationship with India. “And we want that to continue going forward.” After all, Campbell has led U.S. efforts to boost ties with India to push back against China’s growing power.
U.S. NSA To Visit India
Significantly, Campbell said he would be in India next week with Jake Sullivan, the U.S. National Security Advisor. In his words to “advance areas of coordination.” “I think we feel very good about this partnership,” he said. While adding, “I think there are some structural issues between China and India that frankly will be difficult to resolve.” Campbell said he believed that for any rapprochement, or substantial improvement in relations with China, India would expect changes in how Beijing treats their contested borders. “One of the things that we’ve seen under Xi Jinping on anything that bridges, or touches, territorial matters, I think it’s very hard for the Chinese to show any flexibility, or any desire to find common ground,” he said.
(With inputs from Reuters)
