ISAS Insights

The X-factor that makes China view India more seriously now than at any time before is the rising interest in both Washington and New Delhi for reciprocal defence cooperation. There is, of course, no direct evidence, at the official levels, to suggest that the United States and India have already begun to act in concert against China. At the same time, the latest 'classified' recommendations of India's Task Force on National Security, led by Naresh Chandra, have stirred a debate. In this evolving milieu, the recent offer by the US to help India upgrade its military capabilities - in qualitative terms - is, potentially, a new factor in New Delhi's long-cherished calculus of strategic autonomy. India's moves towards the US in this context will be watched closely by the larger international community.