Memo: India key to US plan in Indo-Pacific, counter to China

A newly declassified internal document of the outgoing Trump administration — rare for an incumbent to declassify at least two decades before its time — highlights how India figures as a key player in the US strategy on Indo-Pacific.

The paper outlines a strategy based on the assumption that a “strong India, in cooperation with like-minded countries, would act as a counterbalance to China”, and that New Delhi’s “preferred partner on security issues” is Washington.

While much of it is publicly known, the memo gives an insight into the Trump administration’s thinking and sets the stage for cooperation with the Joe Biden administration scheduled to take charge January 20.