What the China-India detente means for the West

The hope that India might act as a pro-Western counterweight to China has become a cornerstone of American foreign policy. It is a bet on India’s and geopolitical posture that was clearly articulated after a visit to Delhi by Bill Clinton in 2000. Every subsequent president, two Democrats and two Republicans, has doubled down on it. Hence Narendra Modi’s latest love-fest in Washington last month. Amid bilateral protestations of undying friendship, the Indian prime minister pocketed the sort of defence technology deals that America usually reserves for close allies.But what if India, which does not enter into formal alliances, is on course to be a much less committed American partner than many in Washington assume? As we report this week in , that is a distinct possibility. It is illustrated by a quiet yet striking recent improvement in India-China ties.