Updated: July 5, 2020 7:04:15 am
Since March, Jaishankar and Pompeo had spoken to each other on at least three occasions, but this was their first conversation after the Galwan Valley incident. (File photo)
At the height of tensions between India and China following the June 15 incident in the Galwan Valley, where 20 members of the Indian army were killed in clashes with Chinese troops, the US Secretary of State. Read | Facing a long journey in LAC, the great challenge of the army: logistics
Pompeo’s phone call, sources said, was made about 10 days ago and the conversation revolved around Washington’s support for New Delhi at that time of crisis.
Since March, Jaishankar and Pompeo had spoken to each other on at least three occasions, but this was their first conversation after the Galwan Valley incident.
Sources said information about the call was not made public for “strategic reasons,” since India and China were in the midst of diplomatic and military talks: the second meeting of the body’s commanders was held on June 22 and The India-China Border Affairs Consultation and Coordination Working Mechanism (WMCC) met on June 24.
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Washington’s statement on June 17, two days after the Galwan Valley incident, was considered neutral in tone. “We are closely monitoring the situation between the Indian and Chinese forces along the royal line of control. We note that the Indian Army has announced that 20 soldiers have died, and we offer our condolences to their families. Both India and China have expressed a desire to scale down, and we support a peaceful resolution of the current situation, ”said a spokesman for the US State Department.
But the United States’ statements in the past 10 days have been calibrated, reflecting more vocal support. And Pompeo has been leading from the front. On July 1, reporting to journalists in Washington DC, he welcomed the Indian government’s decision to ban 59 Chinese applications.
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“We welcome India’s ban on certain mobile applications that can serve as appendices to the CCP’s surveillance state. India’s clean enforcement approach will increase India’s sovereignty, it will also increase India’s integrity and national security, as the Indian government itself has stated, ”he said.
The United States has publicly and privately broadcast its strong support for South Block amid tensions across LAC. This has been matched by optics and also by substantial cooperation at the operational level.
The Sunday Express has learned that the Indian side has a “good sense” of the accumulation of troops and weapons on the Chinese side of LAC due to close cooperation in information exchange with the United States.
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“India and the US have strong defense cooperation, and this has been visible in the deployment of US platforms in the current situation throughout LAC,” a main source told The Sunday Express: the “platforms” were they refer to US-built aircraft flown by the IAF.
While President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken on June 2, prior to the Galwan Valley incident, Pompeo’s phone conversation with Jaishankar (after the confrontation) is known to have smoothed out the hierarchy’s workflow in Delhi and Washington.
Active cooperation in practical terms has also been accompanied by some high-voltage optics. Two U.S. aircraft carriers began joint exercises in the Philippine Sea last Sunday, a week after USS Nimitz and USS Theodore Roosevelt conducted their own joint operations in the area. It is rare to see three American aircraft carriers operating at the same time in the western Pacific, and even more unusual to have separate dual carrier exercises so close to each other.
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South Block has also noted the series of statements in the past two weeks from Washington, following the apparently initial neutral statement.
This week, the White House spokesman said President Trump believes China’s “aggressive stance” against India and other countries in the region confirms the “true nature” of China’s ruling Communist Party.
On July 2, the Assistant Secretary of State for the US State Department, Stephen E Biegun, met with the Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and conveyed his country’s support to New Delhi.
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The US State Department said Biegun met with Sandhu at the Indian embassy in Washington DC to “discuss the US-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, which remains resolute and resilient as we advance our shared goals. in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. “
Meanwhile, Modi on Saturday night greeted Trump through a Twitter post: “I congratulate @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and the people of the United States on the 244th United States Independence Day. As the largest democracies in the world, we appreciate the freedom and human enterprise that this day celebrates. @White House.”
Trump replied with another tweet: “Thank you, my friend. The United States loves India! ”
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