LAC stand-off figures in India-US talks
NEW DELHI: The India-China border standoff figured in the India-US foreign office consultations on Tuesday, people familiar with developments said, with the two sides agreeing to work closely on all challenges and to support each other’s objectives.
The US decision not to allow foreign students to remain in the country if all their classes are moved online because of the Covid-19 crisis, which is expected to affect tens of thousands of Indians, also figured in the virtual meeting and the American side said it would try to mitigate the impact, the people cited above said on condition of anonymity.
The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to work for a free and open Indo-Pacific, and agreed to strengthen their health partnership, including work on pharmaceuticals and vaccine development against the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The statements issued by both sides after the virtual foreign office consultations between foreign secretary Harsh Shringla and US under secretary of state for political affairs David Hale made no mention of the border standoff or China, though the people cited above pointed to several references in the readouts that were an apparent reference to Beijing’s role in the region.
The Indian readout said Shringla and Hale exchanged views on a “number of regional and global issues of shared interest”, while the US statement said they “agreed to consult closely on all challenges and endeavour to support each other’s objectives”.
The US statement added the discussions “included ongoing threats to the rules-based international order” and that the two sides will remain in “close contact on regional and international issues of mutual concern”.
The consultations were held against the backdrop of India and China agreeing on some de-escalation and disengagement measnectivity ures at key friction points in the Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control over the weekend. The steps were aimed at easing tensions created by the twomonth standoff and a violent clash on June 15 that left 20 Indian soldiers dead and caused unspecified Chinese casualties.
The US is one of the global partners that India has briefed about the standoff and American officials have spoken of the threat posed by China and its provocations and disturbing behaviour.
On Monday, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said in an interview that the US is “not going to stand by and let China...take the reins in terms of being the most powerful, dominant force, whether it’s in that region or over here”.
Meadows added, “Our military might stands strong and will continue to stand strong, whether it’s in relationship to a conflict between India and China or anywhere else.”
During Tuesday’s consultations, the Indian side raised the decision by US immigration authorities not to allow non-immigrant students on F-1 and M-1 visas attending schools operating entirely online to remain in the country.
One of the people cited above said, “The US side took note [of the issue] and said they will keep the best interests of students in mind and will try and mitigate the impact. Detailed implementation guidelines for the measure are yet to come out.”
A growing number of US universities are shifting their classes online because of the pandemic and tens of thousands of Indian students face the possibility of losing their valid immigration status. India is second only to China as a source of foreign students in the US and some 200,000 Indian students are currently enrolled in American educational institutions.
The two sides “reaffirmed their commitment to work towards ensuring a free, open, inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific” and also agreed to deepen cooperation in the United Nations, especially during India’s membership of the Security Council for 2021-22, the Indian readout said.
The US statement said Hale and Shringla “affirmed the US and Indian visions of a free and open Indo-Pacific” and agreed to work with other partners in the region to “bring these visions to reality”.
THE TWO SIDES REAFFIRMED THEIR COMMITMENT TO WORK FOR A FREE AND OPEN INDO-PACIFIC, AND AGREED TO STRENGTHEN THEIR HEALTH PARTNERSHIP