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Business News/ News / ‘India capable of countering Chinese aggression’, refuses to join NATO, says S Jaishankar
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‘India capable of countering Chinese aggression’, refuses to join NATO, says S Jaishankar

India's External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, has stated that India has no intention of joining NATO, citing that the military alliance is not suitable for India. This comes in response to recent recommendations from a US Congressional Committee.

India refuses to join NATO Plus (PTI)Premium
India refuses to join NATO Plus (PTI)

India's External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, on Friday clarified that India has no intention of joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), led by Western countries. Jaishankar stated that the military alliance is not suitable for India. NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance comprising 31 member states, primarily from Europe and North America, aimed at ensuring the freedom and security of its members through political and military cooperation.

India's stance comes in response to recent recommendations from a powerful Congressional Committee in the United States to strengthen NATO Plus by including India. NATO Plus is a security arrangement that brings together NATO and five aligned nations (Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, and South Korea) to enhance global defence cooperation. The proposal aimed to enable seamless intelligence sharing among these countries, allowing India to access advanced military technology without significant delays.

However, India rejected the suggestion, with Jaishankar stating that the “NATO template does not apply to India". It is important to note that the proposal came ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the United States.

Why US invited India to join NATO?

The United States believes that India should join NATO to safeguard its borders from China and enhance global security to counter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region. 

“Winning the strategic competition with the Chinese Communist Party and ensuring the security of Taiwan demands the United States strengthen ties to our allies and security partners, including India. Including India in NATO Plus security arrangements would build upon the US and India’s close partnership to strengthen global security and deter the aggression of the CCP across the Indo-Pacific region," the Congressional Committee recommended.

According to the Congressional Committee recommendations, “The United States should strengthen the NATO Plus arrangement to include India. The United States should also strengthen diplomatic deterrence by supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and amending the TAIPEI Act to provide that the United States, alongside its allies and partners, should publicly oppose any attempts by the CCP to resolve the status of Taiwan’s sovereignty by intentionally misusing, misinterpreting, and misleading others on the underlying purpose of UN Resolution 2758 or the United States’ One China Policy."

Why India refused to join NATO?

On the contrary, India believes that it is capable of countering any Chinese aggression on its own. Moreover, the geographical separation between India and China by the Himalayan region makes it currently impossible for India to join an alliance with NATO.

Additionally, India highlights China's current economic crisis, as evidenced by declining exports and imports, which undermines the argument for joining NATO to counter Chinese aggression. India maintains that it can handle any challenges posed by China independently.

(LiveMint could not independently verify the report)

 

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Published: 09 Jun 2023, 12:39 PM IST
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