AS the world’s emerging super power – China – is building economic alliances and forges cooperation with other countries for shared prosperity, the United States and India have joined hands in a bid to scuttle Beijing’s march on the road to progress and destabilize the region, the peace and security of which is already perilous due to aggressive designs of New Delhi and its anti-minorities’ policies and adventurous strategy of Washington. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defence Mark Esper signed a military pact with their counterparts in New Delhi on Tuesday envisaging exchange of sensitive satellite data, often used to steer missiles and drones and then headed towards Sri Lanka as part of a multi-country tour aimed at pushing the Trump Administration’s anti-China message.
The mischievous nature of the accord is evident from the fact that Tuesday’s development is latest in a series of US-India military agreements designed to counter China’s growing power in the Indo-Pacific region. The United States and some other technologically advanced countries are already providing globe’s cutting edge technologies and know-how to India including nuclear and missile to sharpen military teeth of a country that is not even hiding its expansionist designs and aggressive posture against all of its neighbours. The worst aspect of the entire episode is that both the United States and India are not feeling ashamed in publicly declaring that their military cooperation was against peace-loving China, which is spending hundreds of billions of dollars overseas on economic cooperation. Esper also announced that his country planned to sell more fighter planes and drones to India at a time when New Delhi is engaged in border conflict with Beijing and China is making endeavours for peaceful and negotiated resolution of the crisis. It is worrisome that the new pact will give India access to a range of topographical, nautical and aeronautical data that is considered vital for targeting missiles and armed drones. It would also allow the United States to provide advanced navigational aids and avionics on US-supplied aircraft to India. Such sinister cooperation would not only encourage India to continue with its provocative posture towards China but also towards Pakistan presenting a potent threat to the regional peace and security. That’s why, Pakistan Foreign Office has legitimately warned that India’s massive acquisition of armaments and expansion of its nuclear forces, including introduction of new destabilizing weapon systems, are developments with serious repercussions for peace and stability in South Asia. Remarks made by the two US officials in New Delhi should leave no doubt about motives and designs of the two countries and, therefore, other countries of the region especially Pakistan and China should go deep into emerging developments and take measures together to safeguard their interests.
