NEW DELHI: The United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken is expected to press India to counter China in the Asian waterways.
India is more likely to comply as it has long-standing border tension with China.
Blinken, along with the U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, on multiple days visits to India.
U.S. wants to share Indo-Pacific burden
The Economic Times quoted anonymous Indian officials who revealed that the U.S. is urging India to play a larger role in the Indo-Pacific, diplomatically and militarily.
The discussion, kept private, includes the possibility of the Indian Navy expanding its presence in the South and East China Seas.
US-India signs defence deals
On his visit to the Indian capital this week, Anthon Blnken signed multiple defence deals and said they were expanding the deals forward.
“A more than $3 billion deal for India to buy 31 armed drones made by General Atomics is also being processed and India is waiting for the company to get U.S. government clearances”, Reuters reported.
