When Modi visited the White House …

M. K. Bhadrakumar states that there was almost a dreamy sense around the visit.  With Modi leading a yoga session on the lawns of the U.N. headquarters, one can sense the dreaminess, but also a sense of “Come and Entertain Us”. 

This works well if one considers the previous high-level visit to the White House, that of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s, who sang Don McLean’s American Pie at a  White House visit. “We know this is one of your favorite songs, ‘American Pie’,” Mr. Biden said to Mr. Yoon, having pulled him up onto the stage at the end of the evening to listen to singers perform the classic.”Yes, that’s true,” the 62-year-old Mr Yoon admitted, saying that he had loved the Don McLean song, released in 1971, since he was at school.

“We want to hear you sing it,” said Mr Biden.  (This is perhaps fun, but as an ex.colonial kid, someone who grew up under English colonialism, it clearly smacks of making the colonial subject sing!  Entertain us!)

I’m not saying this sense of colonialism is true in these two cases but I am saying it immediately makes my mind go to colonial times.

M. K. Bhadrakumar noted that India’s reputation has taken a severe beating through the past 9-year period and that Modi had not received a single commendatory piece of welcome from American intellectuals.

With all this, with all the yoga and the photos, I still tried to find substance and eventually consulted the joint statement:

1.  President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and Prime Minister Narendra Modi today affirmed a vision of the United States and India as among the closest partners in the world – a partnership of democracies looking into the 21^st century with hope, ambition, and confidence.  The U.S.-India Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership is anchored in a new level of trust and mutual understanding and enriched by the warm bonds of family and friendship that inextricably link our countries together.  Together, we will build an even stronger, diverse U.S.-India partnership that will advance the aspirations of our people for a bright and prosperous future grounded in respect for human rights, and shared principles of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law.  Our cooperation will serve the global good as we work through a range of multilateral and regional groupings – particularly the Quad– to contribute toward a free, open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific.  No corner of human enterprise is untouched by the partnership between our two great countries, which spans the seas to the stars..

So after that where I bolded a few statements the substance is that of a joint technology partnership with task forces, partnerships, trusted networks and joint research and development, screeds of ‘quantum’ and ‘Fermi’ descriptors, leading to the stars indeed.

China is out and India is in!  And then we get to defense.

11. The U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership has emerged as a pillar of global peace and security. Through joint exercises, strengthening of defense industrial cooperation, the annual “2+2” Ministerial Dialogue, and other consultative mechanisms, we have made substantial progress in building an advanced and comprehensive defense partnership in which our militaries coordinate closely across all domains. The leaders appreciated the strong military-to-military ties, mutual logistics support, and efforts to streamline implementation of foundational agreements. They noted that information sharing and placement of Liaison Officers in each other’s military organizations will spur joint service cooperation. They also reiterated their resolve to strengthen maritime security cooperation, including through enhanced underwater domain awareness. The leaders welcomed the launch of dialogues in new defense domains including space and AI, which will enhance capacity building, knowledge, and expertise.

The leaders also noted the decision of India’s Ministry of Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense to commence negotiations for concluding a Security of Supply arrangement and initiate discussions about Reciprocal Defense Procurement agreement.  After this, we get aeronautics, jet engines and combat aircraft, leading to India becoming just another lily pad for US bases.

14. President Biden and Prime Minister Modi also welcomed India’s emergence as a hub for maintenance and repair for forward deployed U.S. Navy assets and the conclusion of Master Ship Repair Agreements with Indian shipyards. This will allow the U.S. Navy to expedite the contracting process for mid-voyage and emergent repair. As envisaged in the Defense Industrial Roadmap, both countries agree to work together for the creation of logistic, repair, and maintenance infrastructure for aircrafts and vessels in India.

We have all the green talk, carbon, and the search for rare earths through a Mineral Security Partnership (MSP), to accelerate the development of diverse and sustainable critical energy minerals supply chains globally while agreeing to the principles of the MSP including environmental, social, and governance standards. The leaders lauded the announcement of India’s Epsilon Carbon Limited’s plans to invest $650 million in a U.S. greenfield electric vehicle battery component factory.  It is all very rules-based and democratic!

That is right!  India is in, China is out.  If India has rare earths, the US has them now!

What will India do for this opportunity?  Nothing less than the affirmation of the rules-based international order and democracy as defined by the hegemon.

24. As global partners, the United States and India affirm that the rules-based international order must be respected. They emphasized that the contemporary global order has been built on principles of the UN Charter, international law, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.

They will also empower the Quad and Propel Global Growth and give everyone in the world a lolly-pop (if you can demonstrate a fairly competent downward dog of course!)  You get the idea that I am not impressed.

China by way of Global Times, made this statement:

“Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has just finished his state visit to the US, but the attention and interpretation of the trip, as well as its possible impact on the regional situation, has only started. US and Indian officials have elevated the visit to a high level, creating an atmosphere of a significant escalation in US-India relations. US officials said, “sky is the limit in India-US relations,” while Modi said, “even the sky is not the limit” for partnership between India and the US. The joint statement issued by the two sides, which covers a wide range of fields, leaves such an impression in particular. But disagreements between the two sides have not disappeared or been resolved, but were deliberately covered, which was more hypocritical than if they were honestly listed; and the omnipresent, though unspoken, China-specific elements give a vague sense of unease.”

At that stage, I suffered from distinct unease and could not read any longer.