"Communist China continues to aggressively expand its domain in the Indo-Pacific region, all while it seeks to impede the sovereignty and autonomy of our regional partners. It's crucial for the U.S. to continue its support in countering these malicious tactics. India, along with other nations in the region, is not alone," Rubio said after he introduced the U.S.-India Defense Cooperation Act in the Senate.
In order to strengthen our partnership with India, it's essential we increase our strategic relationship w/ New Delhi. 🇺🇲 🇮🇳
Given the short timeline of a bitterly divided Congress in an election year, the bill is unlikely to make much headway, but might be reintroduced in the next Congress given that there is a bipartisan level of support on the India-US relationship. The bill notes that the US-India partnership is vital to countering influences from Communist China. In order to strengthen this partnership, it is essential to enhance our strategic diplomatic, economic, and military relationship with New Delhi, it asserts.
Among other things, the bill would set a Statement of Policy that the US will support India in its response to growing threats to its territorial integrity, provide necessary security assistance to India to deter adversaries, and cooperate with India with respect to defense, civil space, technology, medicine and economic investments.
When passed into law, it would provide a limited exemption for India from CAATSA sanctions for purchases of Russian equipment that are currently used by the Indian military and set a sense of Congress that expeditious consideration of certifications of letters of offer to sell defense articles, defense services, design and construction services, and major defense equipment to India is consistent with US interests and it is in the interest of peace and stability India to have the capabilities needed to deter threats.
It proposes to treat India as if it were of the same status as the US allies such as Japan, Israel, Korea, and NATO allies regarding technology transfers; authorize the Secretary of State to enter into a memorandum of understanding with India to increase military cooperation; expedite excess defense articles to India for two years and grant India the same status as other allies; and expand International Military Education and Training Cooperation with New Delhi.
It requires a report to Congress on Pakistan's use of offensive force, including through terrorism and proxy groups, against India; and bar Pakistan from receiving security assistance if it is found to have sponsored terrorism against India.
This is for the first time such an India-centric bill has been introduced in the US Congress that proposes to put India at the same level of that of its treaty ally, exempt it from CAATSA sanctions, and imposes sanctions on Pakistan for promoting terrorism in India.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that Pakistan is trying to stay relevant through “terrorism” and “proxy war” but its “unholy plans” will never succeed.
The nuclear-armed South Asian neighbors share an uneasy relationship and India has, for decades, accused Pakistan of backing Islamist militants fighting its rule in Kashmir, the Himalayan region both claim in full but rule only in part.
Pakistan denies the accusations, saying it only provides diplomatic and moral support to Kashmiris seeking self-determination in the Muslim-majority region.
Modi’s comments came at an event to mark the 25th anniversary of India’s short military conflict with Pakistan in the Himalayan region of Kargil. The arch rivals have also fought three wars, two of them over Kashmir.
They also come in the aftermath of a spate of militant attacks in the Hindu-majority Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir — as the territory is formally called — with almost a dozen Indian soldiers killed this year.
Modi said Pakistan was humiliated whenever it tried to further its plans but had “not learned anything from its history.”
“I want to tell these patrons of terrorism that their unholy plans will never be successful...Our brave (forces) will squash terrorism, the enemy will be given a befitting reply,” he said.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
India-Pakistan relations have been largely frozen as the two countries downgraded their diplomatic ties in tit-for-tat moves in August 2019 after New Delhi scrapped Kashmir’s special status and split it into two federally administered territories.
Ties were further strained after a suicide bombing of an Indian military convoy in Kashmir was traced to Pakistan-based militants, prompting India to carry out an airstrike on what it said was a militant base in Pakistan.
Earlier this year, Pakistan said there was credible evidence linking Indian agents to the killing of people on its soil — accusations that India termed “fake.”
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said last month that India would look for a solution to cross-border terrorism, which “cannot be the policy of a good neighbor.”
