US-India Leadership Summit Aims To Strengthen Solidarity in Deterring China

Published in Sankei Shimbun
(Japan) on 29 June 2023
by (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Dorothy Phoenix. Edited by Helaine Schweitzer.
President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met at the White House, where they reached agreement on issues such as strengthening defensive coordination and cooperation in high-tech fields. U.S.-Indian cooperation is vital in deterring China, which is expanding its military influence in the Indo-Pacific region. Both countries should work hard to strengthen their relationship based on the good results from this conference.

According to a joint declaration released after the summit, both leaders agreed that, in addition to jointly manufacturing engines for U.S.-developed fighter aircraft in India, U.S.-made unmanned drones will be supplied to India, and Indian shipyards will be made capable of repairing U.S. Navy ships and other vessels.

India exchanged wartime fire with China in 1962, and even now, the two countries are engaged in a border dispute. Sporadic clashes break out between troops from the two nations in the border zone. The strengthening of defense cooperation with the U.S. is certainly expected to increase deterrence against China in such situations.

India considers itself a regional power in South Asia, and during the Cold War era, it took a nonaligned stance, siding neither with the U.S. nor Russia.

India's participation in the cooperative framework with the U.S., Japan and Australia, known as the Quad, is likely a consequence of India's serious consideration of the mutual advantages and disadvantages of dealing with the Chinese threat. India's border confrontations with China would also lead to dispersing any Chinese military that might invade Taiwan.

In March, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visited India and invited Modi to the Hiroshima G7 Summit in May, which confirmed the tightened link with India. The U.S. and Japan should plan to strengthen ties with India even more, proactively utilizing a framework that includes the Quad.

On the other hand, regarding the attitude toward Russia, which is invading Ukraine, the U.S. and Japan have a different stance from India.

The joint declaration from the U.S.-India leadership also did not include any wording that criticized or sanctioned Russia. However, tacitly condoning Russia's conduct in trampling Ukraine's territory and sovereignty and disregarding international law will also affect India's international reputation.

The Modi administration is again drawing criticism for suppressing political opponents and religious minorities such as Muslims in India and for restricting the media.

Biden held back on mentioning human rights issues, which demonstrated how Biden feels about India's strategic value.

India should not be seen as having earned a "significant endorsement" from the U.S. on human rights issues. We hope that India will demonstrate appropriate conduct as the "world's largest democracy."


米印首脳が会談 対中抑止へ結束強化図れ

バイデン米大統領とインドのモディ首相がホワイトハウスで会談し、防衛協力の強化や先端技術分野の協力で合意した。インド太平洋地域で軍事的影響力を拡大させる中国の抑止に向け、米印の連携は欠かせない。両国は会談の成果を踏まえ、さらなる関係強化に取り組んでほしい。

会談後に出された共同声明によると両首脳は、米国が開発した戦闘機用エンジンのインド国内での共同生産に加え、米国製無人機のインドへの供与や、インド国内の造船所で米海軍艦船を修理できるようにすることで合意した。

インドは中国と1962年に戦火を交え、現在も国境紛争を抱える。国境地帯では両軍の兵士による衝突も散発している。米国との防衛協力の強化は、こうした状況をにらんで対中抑止力を高める思惑があるのは確実だ。

インドは南アジアの地域大国としての自負が強く、東西冷戦期は米ソのいずれにもくみしない非同盟路線をとってきた。

そんなインドが日米豪との協力枠組み「クアッド」に加わったのは、中国への脅威への対処という共通の利害を重視したためだろう。インドが国境で中国と対(たい)峙(じ)することは、台湾侵攻を企図する中国軍の兵力分散にもつながる。

岸田文雄首相は3月にインドを訪れたほか、5月の先進7カ国首脳会議(G7広島サミット)にモディ氏を招き、インドとの連携緊密化を確認した。日米などはクアッドなども含めた枠組みを積極的に活用し、インドとの一層の結束強化を図るべきだ。

一方、ウクライナを侵略したロシアへの態度では、インドと日米などの間には温度差がある。

米印首脳の共同声明にも、対露非難や制裁の文言は盛り込まれなかった。だが、国際法を無視して領土と主権を踏みにじるロシアの行為を黙認することはインドの国際的信用にも関わる。

モディ政権はまた、国内でイスラム教徒などの宗教的少数派や野党を弾圧し、メディアを規制しているとして批判を浴びている。

バイデン氏は今回、人権問題への言及を控え、インドの戦略的価値を重視する立場を示した。

インドはこれをもって「人権政策で米国のお墨付きを得た」と理解すべきでない。インドには「世界最大の民主主義国」として適切な行動を求めたい。
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