US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the two democracies’ partnership would define the next century, as Washington eyes a counterweight to China and brushes off allegations of growing authoritarianism in New Delhi.
The two nations reached major deals on engines for fighter jets, semiconductor investment and space cooperation as Biden rolled out the red carpet to Modi for only the third state visit of his presidency.
With thousands of Indian-Americans chanting his name on the White House South Lawn, Modi walked a red carpet to a gun salute.
Photo: AFP
“I have long believed that the relationship between the US and India will be one of the most defining relationships of the 21st century,” Biden said.
Modi said that the visit brought a “new direction and new energy” to the partnership with the US.
Later, addressing both chambers of Congress, Modi clearly alluded to US concerns on China as he backed a “free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific,” a favorite phrase of the US.
“The dark clouds of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow in the Indo-Pacific,” Modi said.
At least six lawmakers from Biden’s Democratic Party boycotted the talk, pointing to Modi’s human rights record.
Biden addressed the concerns lightly, calling religious pluralism a “core principle” for India and the US and saying that democratic values “face challenges around the world and in each of our countries.”
“The whole world has a stake in our success,” Biden said. “Maintaining our democracies makes us appealing partners.”
Criticizing those who would question India’s democratic character, Modi said that “regardless of caste, creed, religion, gender, there’s absolutely no space for discrimination.”
In an agreement hailed by Modi as a landmark, the US signed off on a technology transfer deal for engines as India begins manufacturing its own fighter jets.
General Electric has been given the green light to produce its F414 engines jointly with Indian state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics.
A US official said India would buy MQ-9B SeaGuardian high-precision armed drones.
Washington hopes a tighter defense relationship could wean India off Russia, New Delhi’s primary military supplier.
In a joint statement, Modi joined Biden in backing the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine following its invasion by Moscow.
In another agreement, US chip giant Micron is to invest US$800 million in a semiconductor assembly and testing plant in India, with funding expected to reach US$2.75 billion after contributions from New Delhi.
Although the US is hoping to stop the flow of high-end chips to China, Micron recently announced a US$600 million investment in China.
A Chinese freighter that allegedly snapped an undersea cable linking Taiwan proper to Penghu County is suspected of being owned by a Chinese state-run company and had docked at the ports of Kaohsiung and Keelung for three months using different names. On Tuesday last week, the Togo-flagged freighter Hong Tai 58 (宏泰58號) and its Chinese crew were detained after the Taipei-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable was severed. When the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) first attempted to detain the ship on grounds of possible sabotage, its crew said the ship’s name was Hong Tai 168, although the Automatic Identification System (AIS)
An Akizuki-class destroyer last month made the first-ever solo transit of a Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship through the Taiwan Strait, Japanese government officials with knowledge of the matter said yesterday. The JS Akizuki carried out a north-to-south transit through the Taiwan Strait on Feb. 5 as it sailed to the South China Sea to participate in a joint exercise with US, Australian and Philippine forces that day. The Japanese destroyer JS Sazanami in September last year made the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s first-ever transit through the Taiwan Strait, but it was joined by vessels from New Zealand and Australia,
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SECURITY: The purpose for giving Hong Kong and Macau residents more lenient paths to permanent residency no longer applies due to China’s policies, a source said The government is considering removing an optional path to citizenship for residents from Hong Kong and Macau, and lengthening the terms for permanent residence eligibility, a source said yesterday. In a bid to prevent the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from infiltrating Taiwan through immigration from Hong Kong and Macau, the government could amend immigration laws for residents of the territories who currently receive preferential treatment, an official familiar with the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said. The move was part of “national security-related legislative reform,” they added. Under the amendments, arrivals from the Chinese territories would have to reside in Taiwan for
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