India has maintained its impartial stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (Representational)
Washington:
India in 2023 showcased itself as a world chief because it demonstrated a higher willingness to counter China’s exercise all through the Indo-Pacific area and took steps to modernise its army and cut back its dependency on Russian origin-equipment, the highest US intelligence official has instructed Congress.
The remarks by Lt Gen Jeffrey Kruse, Director of the Defence Intelligence Company got here throughout a Congressional listening to on defence intelligence countering China. “Throughout the previous yr, India has showcased itself as a world chief by internet hosting the Group of 20 financial summit and demonstrated a higher willingness to counter PRC’s (Folks’s Republic of China) exercise all through the Indo-Pacific area,” Kruse instructed members of the Home Armed Companies Committee – the subcommittee on intelligence and particular operations.
India, he mentioned, has superior partnerships within the Indo-Pacific with regional South China Sea claimants, such because the Philippines, by coaching and defence gross sales and deepening cooperation with the US, Australia, France and Japan.
China claims a lot of the South China Sea as its personal, whereas The Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims over the maritime space.
“In 2023, India took steps to modernise its army to compete with China and cut back its dependency on Russian-origin gear. India performed sea trials for its first domestically produced plane service and likewise has negotiated with a number of Western international locations on the switch of key defence applied sciences,” Mr Kruse mentioned.
India has maintained its impartial stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia stays India’s most substantial defence companion and New Delhi continues to amass weapons from Moscow, such because the S-400 surface-to-air missile system, regardless of New Delhi’s want to diversify its defence acquisition partnerships, Mr Kruse mentioned.
“In 2024, New Delhi in all probability will concentrate on securing its nationwide parliamentary elections, sustaining financial development, and constructing on its ‘Make in India’ initiative as a part of its army modernisation effort — which is geared toward countering Beijing,” he instructed the lawmakers.
Bilateral relations between India and China stay tense following the 2020 Galwan conflict that killed 20 Indian troopers and a minimum of 5 PLA (Folks’s Liberation Military) troopers.
In October 2023, senior Indian and PLA officers didn’t resolve disputes in regards to the two remaining standoff places in japanese Ladakh throughout their twentieth spherical of talks. Either side preserve roughly 50,000-60,000 troops within the space and proceed to enhance their army infrastructure close to the border, Kruse instructed the lawmakers.
On Pakistan, Kruse instructed lawmakers that it has sought worldwide help, together with from the UN Safety Council, to resolve its dispute with India about Kashmir. Individually, Islamabad and New Delhi have maintained an uneasy ceasefire alongside the shared Line of Management since February 2021.
“Pakistan has sustained its nuclear modernisation efforts regardless of its financial turmoil. Terrorist violence towards Pakistani safety forces and civilians additionally rose final yr,” Mr Kruse mentioned.
In 2023, militants killed roughly 400 safety forces, a nine-year excessive, and Pakistani safety forces have performed nearly each day counterterrorism operations in the course of the previous yr.
Pakistan’s contentious relationship with India continues to drive its defence coverage, Mr Kruse mentioned. Nonetheless, cross-border violence between the international locations has decreased since their February 2021 recommitment to a ceasefire, he mentioned.
“Islamabad is modernising its nuclear arsenal and bettering the safety of its nuclear supplies and nuclear C2. In October, Pakistan efficiently examined its Ababeel medium-range ballistic missile,” he mentioned.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is printed from a syndicated feed.)