“The tensions on the India-China border reflect a worrying trend,” said Pentagon nominee Colin Kahl.
Washington:
The current border tensions between India and China reflect a disturbing trend of increasing Chinese aggression and assertion in the region and toward U.S. allies and partners, President Joe Biden for the Pentagon’s top policy post, Colin Kahl, told lawmakers. .
In his presentation to members of the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing for Under Secretary for Defense Policy, Kahal, however, expressed the determination of the United States to support its allies and partners.
“The border tensions between India and China reflect a worrying trend of increasing aggressiveness and assertiveness on the part of China in the region, including towards US allies and partners,” Kahl said.
“However, we will continue to support our allies and partners and support their continued efforts to reduce the situation. If confirmed, I will continue to monitor the situation closely as both sides work towards a peaceful resolution,” he said in his written responses to questions for your confirmation hearing.
The past decade has seen promising trends in the defense technology and trade relationship between the United States and India, he said, adding that if confirmed, he will work to maintain these trends, including through a focus on major acquisitions and high-end technology. .
Responding to a question on India, Kahl said that if confirmed, he will continue to operationalize India’s status as a “Senior Defense Partner” by positioning the US and Indian armies to cooperate more closely to promote shared interests in the Indus region. -Peaceful.
“To this end, it would support efforts to strengthen interoperability, expand bilateral and multilateral security cooperation throughout the region, and deepen trade and defense technology exchange,” he said.
He added that he would also leverage high-level bilateral and multilateral engagements with like-minded partners to strengthen the relationship.
“To continue to elevate the US-India partnership, I would prioritize some promising areas of cooperation. These include deepening information exchange and mutual logistics operations, growing our defense technology and trade relationship, and expansion of high-level cooperation in the maritime arena, including in the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia region, “said Kahl.
“Importantly, it would also seek to expand multilateral cooperation with like-minded partners in the region, including through the Quad, the mechanisms of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and other regional commitments,” he added.
Responding to questions from senators during his confirmation hearing Thursday, Kahl said the biggest opportunity is the growing concern and recognition that a more assertive China has produced.
“I mean, I think a lot of our allies and partners are nervous. Frankly, I think that the pandemic and the early cover-up of the pandemic by China, and some of its tough wolf warrior diplomacy during the pandemic have also created opportunities for that we lean on countries that are increasingly concerned about Beijing, “he said.
“I could not agree more with you on the importance of emphasizing our alliances and our alliances. It is one of the greatest asymmetric advantages that the United States has. No other global power has a network of allies and partners that we do. confirmed, a big part of my job will be to nurture those relationships, “he added.
The United States has enormous opportunities in the Indo-Pacific, he said.
“I think the last administration made some important advances in this area, as did the Obama administration. I think we have opportunities to work not just with our treaty allies like Japan and South Korea and Australia and the Philippines, but with countries like Singapore. . and Vietnam and others in ASEAN. And I think there are growing opportunities with India. So actually, I think this is an area where we have a huge possibility, “Kahl said.
Senator Jack Reed, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the United States must take a long-term approach to strategic competition with China, a challenge that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has appropriately described as the threat of pace to the Department of Defense.
“Competing effectively with China requires us to develop new technologies to compete with China’s advances in new operational concepts to ensure the desired effect against Chinese aggression,” he said.
According to Kahl, China is the only country in the world that can systematically challenge the United States economically, technologically, militarily and, frankly, in shaping the international order more broadly.
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