Biden and Modi Pledge Cooperation Against Ascendant China

Then-Vice President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shake hands during Modi’s 2014 visit to the US. Source.

Earlier this week, President Biden spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, promising to deepen cooperation in the face of rising tension with China. With the Biden Presidency promising a stark departure from the bullish and brash foreign policy of Trump, the question arises regarding what form this cooperation could take. 

China’s suppression of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, interment of Uighur muslims in Xinjiang, and infringement on the sovereignty of Taiwan have sparked great concern for the United States and the world at large. On the Indian side, there are disputes over territory in the North Indian state of Ladakh and the status of the Dalai Lama and other refugees in India from Chinese-occupied Tibet.

China has undertaken a foreign policy towards India that can be described as encirclement. Geopolitical analysts have christened the Chinese encirclement strategy the “string of pearls.” This strategy is aimed at isolating India from its allies and ensuring Chinese hegemony in the region. This strategy has included fostering strong relations with nations hostile to India, such as Pakistan, while establishing footholds in historical Indian allies such as Bangladesh and Nepal.

Though India still faces domestic issues relating to corruption and communal religious strife, its status as an English-speaking, secular democracy has made it a natural ally to the West and adversary to China. India is poised to become the most populous country in the world by 2030, and possess the second largest economy behind only China itself. With its rapid demographic and economic expansion, cultural influence, and large military, India poses the most tangible geopolitical challenge to China’s position as a dominant regional power.

The soft power China holds through its pervasive export-based economy and large population has already eroded the ideals of democracy in other nations. Many multinational corporations are hesitant to allow their employees to speak out against China, as even mild criticism can result in the Chinese government banning the corporation from doing business in a market of over 1.3 billion. 

In the face of these issues, it is no surprise that Biden will seek to continue the overtures made by Trump to India’s leadership. What is perhaps most telling about the importance of the US-India relationship is that successive Presidents after Clinton have continually strengthened the relationship, despite being diametrically opposed on many other issues.

Future cooperation is likely to present through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (commonly referred to as the Quad), an informal strategic forum for military cooperation between the United States, India, Australia, and Japan. While the Quad is not a formal military alliance like NATO, it could form the basis for deepened military ties as the US seeks to counter China in its geopolitical neighborhood. 

The Deputy Secretary of State in the Trump administration suggested that the Quad could eventually form the framework for an “Asian NATO,” and the Biden administration has shown signs that they may continue this approach. Kurt Campbell, appointed the “Asia Tsar” of the State Department, has backed consolidation of the Quad and the expansion of the G7 into a D10 by adding Australia, India, and South Korea. Regardless of whether or not the Quad eventually becomes a NATO-style alliance, sharing military information and logistics may be the first step to countering Chinese aggression in Ladakh and the South China Sea.

Any actions to contain China’s influence must be taken with the practical consideration that China wields tremendous economic power as a result of its deep trade relations with much of the developed world. Enhancing economic and military cooperation between Asian democracies could be the first step in creating a US-aligned Asian bloc capable of resisting Chinese authoritarianism and preserving the sovereignty of nations under Chinese pressure. With Vice President Kamala Harris’s deep familial links to India and the large Indian diaspora in the United States, further cooperation between the two nations can be an important factor in both domestic and foreign policy for the Biden Administration.