Americans first

Although Biden attaches great importance to India-US ties, he will now be looking to make his foreign policy work for American people

- MANDIRA NAYAR

It was a humid summer day in 2013. Joe Biden, then vice president of the United States, was speaking at the Bombay Stock Exchange. “I am absolutely confident in the future of this relationship,'' said Biden. “My confidence is based on the history of the journey of both our countries.” Biden has always been bullish about India-US relations. Back in 2006, as head of the senate foreign relations committee, he expressed hope that by 2020, India and the US would be the two closest nations in the world.

When Biden steps into the White House on January 20, he will have a chance to realise his dreams about India. His secretary of state nominee, Antony Blinken, has made it clear that India will be a “very high priority’’ for the new administration. Blinken has been part of Democratic administrations since the days of president Bill Clinton and has dealt extensively with India.

There is a lot at stake, especially because of the growing threat of China. There is bipartisan consensus both in America and in India on the issue. “Since 2013, under Xi Jinping, China has shed its 'hide and bide' strategy for a more strident global posture,’’ writes Anubhav Gupta, associate director of the New York-based Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI), in a report on how the Biden administration can advance ties with India. “The new approach has pushed the United States and India away and increasingly into each other’s arms.” The US has helped India during its ongoing standoff with China by providing geospatial data, satellite maps and protective gear. “A lot of it starts and ends with China,’’ said Harsh Pant of the Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation about India-US ties.