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According to US Defense Secretary Mark Esper, the new defense pact, the Basic Geospatial Cooperation and Exchange Agreement, is an “important milestone” that will promote cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries.
“The United States plans to sell more fighter jets and drones to India,” Esper added.
The pact will provide India with access to a wide range of topographic, marine and aeronautical data deemed essential for targeting missiles and armed drones.
“The pact will also allow the United States to provide advanced avionics and navigation assistance on the aircraft it supplies to India,” said an Indian defense source.
Meanwhile, following talks by his Indian colleagues, Pompeo said the two countries must work together to confront the threat China poses to security and freedom.
The annual strategic dialogue between the United States and India comes at a time of intense tensions in the region, with Indian troops clashing with Chinese troops on the disputed Himalayan border.
“Great things happen when our democracies align themselves to better protect the citizens of our two countries and, of course, the free world,” Pompeo told reporters after speaking with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
“Our leaders, and our citizens, see more and more clearly that the Chinese Communist Party is not a friend of democracy, the rule of law, transparency or freedom of navigation, the basis of a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific. “Pompeo said.
Jaishankar did not directly address China in his comments at the press conference, but praised the convergence of national security with the United States and its determination to address security and counterterrorism issues and ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Peaceful.
China itself rejects Pompeo’s accusations.
“We urge Pompeo to drop his Cold War mentality, his zero-sum mentality, and stop talking about the ‘Chinese threat,'” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a press conference in Beijing.
US President Donald Trump has taken a tough stance on China as a key part of his campaign to secure a second term in next week’s presidential election and Pompeo has sought to support allies to counter the growing influence of China in the region.(Also read: Trump’s Security Advisor: China’s Threats of the Century)
India itself has a problem with China.
In June, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in clashes with Chinese troops on its mountainous borders, bolstering the atmosphere in India against China and prompting the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seek closer military ties with the United States.(Read also: Clashes with China in the Himalayas, 20 Indian soldiers killed)
This month, India invited Australia to join the naval exercises it conducts annually with the United States and Japan, dismissing China’s concerns that the exercises are destabilizing the region.(Also read: Tension increases with China, US Cs conducts exercises in the Indian Ocean)
Pompeo and Esper previously met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for talks that included regional stability, a US government spokesman said.
(ber)
