India faces significant geopolitical challenges from China and its conduct on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the White House said in its Indo-Pacific strategy report on Friday. China’s coercion is global, but most severe in the Indo-Pacific, the report said.

The Indo-Pacific Strategy Report is part of a Quartet ministerial meeting with the foreign ministers of Australia, India, Japan and the United States, which is taking place in Australia. Ministers expressed concern about China’s malign role in the region.

“India faces a very significant challenge. China’s behavior on the Line of Actual Control has a positive impact on India. From our perspective, we see a huge opportunity to work with another democracy – with a country that owns the oceans Traditional nations understand the global commons — key issues that advance the region,” a senior White House official told news agency PTI on condition of anonymity.

He said the United States wants to continue to build on the work of previous administrations to significantly expand and deepen this relationship, thereby making India a key strategic partner.
China is combining its economic, diplomatic, military and technological prowess to seek spheres of influence in the Indo-Pacific region and strive to become the most influential power in the world, the strategic report said.

This is the first region-specific report issued by the administration of US President Joe Biden. It outlines Biden’s vision to strengthen America’s position in the Indo-Pacific by supporting India’s rise and regional leadership in the process.

“We will continue to forge a strategic partnership, with the United States and India working together through regional blocs to promote stability in South Asia; cooperate in new areas such as health, space and cyberspace; deepen our economic and technological cooperation; contribute to the Indo-Pacific region,” the statement read.

“We recognize India as a like-minded partner and leader in South Asia and the Indian Ocean, active in and connected to Southeast Asia, a driving force for the Quartet and other regional forums, and an engine for regional growth and development,” it added.

From economic coercion in Australia to conflict over the Line of Actual Control with India, to growing pressure on Taiwan, bullying by its neighbors in the East and South China Seas, the People’s Republic of China (China) has been undermining human rights and the international community. Laws, including freedom of navigation, and other principles that will bring stability and prosperity to the region, the strategy says.

“Our collective efforts over the next decade will determine whether China succeeds in changing the rules and norms that benefit the Indo-Pacific region and the world. For our part, the United States is investing in our power base at home, aligning our the practices of allies and partners abroad and compete with China to defend the interests and vision for the future we share with others,” it noted.

“We will strengthen the international system, make it grounded in shared values, and update it to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Our goal is not to change China, but to shape the strategic environment in which it operates and build influence globally Balance. The world that is best for the United States, our allies and partners, and our shared interests and values,” the report added.

Complete News Source : HINDUSTAN TIMES