As tensions between the U.S. and China heat up and we find ourselves in the middle of a new cold war, one of the most crucial elements to being successful in the upcoming seemingly unavoidable power struggle will be finding allies.
Enter India, a country with enormous potential and a crucial ally in any struggle with China. India, which possesses the 5th largest economy in the world and is the only country that can rival China in terms of population, is seen by many as an emerging world superpower, and has a strategic relationship with the U.S. would doubtlessly prove an immense obstacle for Beijing.
In 1960, in the middle of the cold war between America and the Soviet Union, ideological differences between the Soviet Union and China led to a split known as the Sino-Soviet split. The split was a breaking of political relations between the countries over the future of communism and doctrinal differences regarding the spread of communism worldwide.
Tensions between the countries became so high that it led to small-scale warfare along the Sino-Soviet border, and at one point nearly deteriorated into a full-scale nuclear war.
The split came as a surprise to many in the United States, but the wedge driven between the two countries was a welcome sight to American officials who viewed it as a crucial step to defeating the Soviet Union. Although many factors played into the demise of the communist regime, there is no doubt that the Sino-Soviet split played a pivotal role in the eventual fall of the Soviet Union.
Today, a split between China and India could prove to be just as pivotal for the United States in the ever-heating conflict with Beijing.
In the last few weeks, relations between India and China have reached a boiling point, and inflammatory moves by Beijing have caused India’s government to rethink their close relationship with the communist regime.
A deadly border clash in mid-June between the two countries, that saw twenty Indian soldiers and an unknown amount of Chinese soldiers killed, is a defining turning point as India has already begun a shift to decouple itself and part ways with China. The U.S. has long wanted India’s help in facing China, and the recent conflict between Beijing and New Delhi has caused a new and improved relationship between the United States and India.
On Monday, India’s government banned 59 Chinese mobile apps, including TikTok, citing national security concerns. They are also banning Chinese companies from highway projects, and considering similar measures in other sectors including chemicals, electronics, heavy machinery, and pharmaceuticals.
With China’s repeated escalations in the region, India has no choice but to move closer to the U.S. and its allies, a welcome turn of events, and a crucial geopolitical advantage for Washington.
President Trump realizes the importance of having a strong relationship with India and has made it no secret that he seeks stronger ties with the country, visiting in February of this year to talk trade and defense, and stating that the relationship between the two countries is stronger than ever.
Although India is still lagging behind China in terms of economic and military strength, a united American and Indian front will go a long way in defeating Beijing’s communist regime.
As the United States ramps up its efforts to prepare for a global power struggle with China, gaining India and other countries in the Eastern Hemisphere is of crucial importance to the U.S. and will give leverage over Beijing while providing partners in strategic locations close to China.
As we enter a new cold war, India will undoubtedly play a strategic part, and the China-India split happening right now is good news for America, its allies, and democracy everywhere.
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