India and the United States on Tuesday signed a major defence pact pertaining to geo-spatial intelligence, sharing information on maps and satellite images for defence purposes. The two countries signed the crucial Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held the third edition of the 2+2 talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Defence Secretary Mike Esper in Delhi.
Apart from closer defence ties and strengthening strategic cooperation between India and the US, China also figured prominently during the 2+2 dialogue between the foreign and defence ministers of both the countries.
As reported by The Daily Guardian earlier, the two sides discussed China’s aggressive activities in various parts of the Asian region including along the Line of Actual Control. Sources told TDG that both Esper and Pompeo assured their Indian counterparts of all possible support from their country in the ongoing efforts aimed to rein in the Dragon. “Esper and Pompeo gave Jaishankar and Rajnath the message of President Donald Trump reiterating Washington’s full support to New Delhi against any threat from China or any other country (read Pakistan),” sources said.
According to sources, Jaishanakar raised the issue of cross-border terrorism being sponsored by Islamabad and sought attention of global community including the US’ heed on that asking Washington to be tough on such nations. “This is completely unacceptable,” Jaishankar said. “FATF’s recent tough action against Pakistan has confirmed India’s views about the neighbouring country on the issue of terrorism,” Jaishankar reportedly told Pompeo.
This newspaper earlier reported that the MEA was making all-out efforts to ensure that Pompeo makes a strong statement against Chinese leadership when he comes to attend the 2+2 dialogue. Mike Pompeo did exactly that as well.
Pompeo had set the stage even before the dialogue began, saying that there was a need to confront China. “We have a lot to discuss today, from cooperating on defeating the pandemic that originated in Wuhan, to confronting the Chinese Communist Party’s threats to security and freedom, to promoting peace and stability throughout the region,” he said. The message was, therefore, quite clear as to how important the issue of China was during the 2+2 talks.
Pompeo did not stop there only. He made it a point to hit out at China after the dialogue. Addressing a press conference later at Hyderabad House, Pompeo said that the leaders and citizens of both countries started to understand with increasing clarity that the CCP is “no friend to democracy, rule of law, transparency.” Pompeo said that the US officials visited the National War Memorial to honour brave men and women of Indian armed forces “who sacrificed for the world’s largest democracy”, including the soldiers killed by the People’s Liberation Army in the Galwan Valley. He reiterated that the United States will stand with India as they confront threats to their sovereignty and liberty. The State Secretary also extended US support to India’s bid for a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council.
The US Defence Secretary also lambasted China after the 2+2 dialogue. He spoke about increasing aggression and destabilising activities by China. “US and India are taking steps to strengthen our cooperation against all manner of threats & not just those posed by Chinese Communist Party. Last year, we’ve expanded our cooperation on cyber issues, our navies have held joint exercises in the Indian ocean,” he added.
Taking to Twitter, Pompeo said that the ministerial meeting was a success, saying the bond between the two nations is built on the foundation of a longstanding friendship, partnership, and vibrant democratic traditions.
Meanwhile, Rajnath Singh said that the agreement would open new avenues in information sharing. After inking the pact, Singh talked about protecting territorial integrity and sovereignty.
“We held a comprehensive discussion on a range of key issues. Inking of BECA with the US is a significant move. Our military to military cooperation with the US moving forward very well. We identified projects for joint development of defence equipment. We reaffirmed our commitment to peace and security in Indo-Pacific region,” he said.
BECA allows India to use US geospatial intelligence and enhance accuracy of automated systems and weapons like missiles and armed drones. The pact also includes sharing of high-end satellite images, telephone intercepts, and data exchange on Chinese troops and weapons deployment along the 3,488-km India-China LAC.
Ahead of the ministerial dialogue, Pompeo and Esper held talks with National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, and discussed growing strategic ties between the two countries. Both the top US administration officials also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
