When President Barack Obama landed here for a three-day visit, he brought a long list of issues to discuss, like energy and trade. But when Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sat down to talk, the first 45 minutes were dominated by just one — China — according to a report published in The New York Times on January 26.
Obama and his aides discovered to their surprise that Modi’s assessment of China’s rise and its impact on the greater strategic situation in East Asia was closely aligned with their own. Just as they did, Modi seemed increasingly uneasy about China’s efforts to extend its influence around the region and interested in a united approach to counter them.
For years, US Presidents have tried to enlist India, the world’s largest democracy, in a more robust partnership, partly to offset China’s rising power. But it (India) has long insisted on being an independent actor in world affairs and resisted aligning itself with the United States against its giant neighbour.