US ‘welcomes India’s emergence as leading power’

DELHI: The US has expressed concern at China’s attempts to “intimidate its neighbours” against the backdrop of the India-China border standoff, and said it will stand with friends and partners to advance security and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific.

US state department’s Ned Price made the remarks at a briefing in response to a question on the Biden administration’s position on China’s efforts to encroach on India’s territory.

The US views India as “one of the most important partners in the Indo-Pacific”, and welcomes India’s emergence as a “leading global power and its role as a net security provider in the region”, Price said. Price said the US is closely monitoring the IndiaChina standoff.

“We are concerned by Beijing’s pattern of ongoing attempts to intimidate its neighbours,” he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday he “was happy to receive a call from my friend Justin Trudeau” and assured the Canadian PM that India will do its best to facilitate supplies of Covid-19 vaccines to that country. Trudeau, who made a phone call to PM Modi, said that if the world managed to conquer Covid-19, it would be significantly because of India’s tremendous pharmaceutical capacity and Modi’s leadership in sharing this capacity with the world, according to the PMO. “Was happy to receive a call from my friend Justin Trudeau. Assured him that India would do its best to facilitate supplies of COVID vaccines sought by Canada. We also agreed to continue collaborating on other important issues like Climate Change and the global economic recovery,” Modi tweeted.