2024-04-18 12:26:57
Washington: A top intelligence official of the US Defense Ministry Pentagon told Parliament that in the year 2023, India has shown more will to counter China’s activities in the Indo-Pacific region. India has taken steps to modernize its military and reduce dependence on Russian equipment. Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse said this during a hearing in Parliament on Defense Intelligence regarding China. “Last year, India demonstrated itself as a global leader by hosting the G-20 economic summit and supporting the PRC (People’s “Demonstrated the will to counter the activities of the Republic of China).
Kruse said India has expanded partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region with regional claimants in the South China Sea such as the Philippines through training and defense sales and has further strengthened its cooperation with the US, Australia, France and Japan. China claims most of the South China Sea, while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also claim the maritime area. “In 2023, India will take steps to modernize its military to compete with China and reduce its dependence on Russian equipment,” Kruse said. India conducted sea trials of an indigenously built aircraft carrier and has also held talks with several western countries on transfer of key defense technologies.
Arms deal continues between India and Russia
India has maintained its neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine war. Krause said Russia is India’s largest defense partner and despite India’s desire to diversify its defense procurement partnerships, it continues to purchase weapons such as the S-400 surface-to-air missile system from Russia. He told MPs that the Indian government will focus on securing the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, maintaining economic growth and building on its ‘Make in India’ initiative for military modernization aimed at countering China. In the conflict between India and China in Galwan in 2020, 20 Indian soldiers were martyred while at least five soldiers of the Chinese army were also killed. Since then, bilateral relations between the two countries have remained tense. Kruse told MPs that in the year 2023, senior leaders of India and China held the 20th round of talks to resolve the dispute at two places in eastern Ladakh, but it failed.
In such a situation, both the countries have deployed about 50,000-60,000 soldiers in the area and are continuously improving their military infrastructure near the border. Krause told lawmakers that Pakistan has sought international support, including the UN Security Council, to resolve its dispute with India over Kashmir. Both countries have maintained an uneasy ceasefire along the Line of Control since February 2021. “Despite the economic turmoil in Pakistan, it is making continuous efforts to modernize its nuclear weapons,” Kruse said. Terrorist violence against Pakistani security forces and civilians also increased last year.