U.S., India partnership targets arms, AI to compete with China
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[February 01, 2023] By
Trevor Hunnicutt
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The White House is launching a partnership with
India on Tuesday that President Joe Biden hopes will help the countries
compete against China on military equipment, semiconductors and
artificial intelligence.
Washington wants to deploy more Western mobile phone networks in the
subcontinent to counter China's Huawei Technologies, to welcome more
Indian computer chip specialists to the United States and to encourage
companies from both countries to collaborate on military equipment such
as artillery systems.
The White House faces an uphill battle on each front, including U.S.
restrictions on military technology transfer and visas for immigrant
workers, along with India's longstanding dependence on Moscow for
military hardware.
Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, and his Indian
counterpart, Ajit Doval, are meeting with senior officials from both
countries at the White House on Tuesday to launch the U.S.-India
Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies.
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"The larger challenge posed by China - its economic practices, its
aggressive military moves, its efforts to dominate the industries of the
future and to control the supply chains of the future - have had a
profound impact on the thinking in Delhi," Sullivan said.
Doval will also meet Secretary of State Anthony Blinken during his
three-day visit to Washington D.C., which ends Wednesday.
New Delhi has frustrated Washington by participating in military
exercises with Russia and increasing purchases of the country's crude
oil, a key source of funding for Russia's war in Ukraine. But Washington
has held its tongue, nudging the country on Russia while condoning
India's more hawkish stance on China.
On Monday, Sullivan and Doval participated in a Chamber of Commerce
event with corporate leaders from Lockheed Martin Corp, Adani
Enterprises and Applied Materials Inc.
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![](../images/020123PIX/busine28.jpg)
President of the U.S. Joe Biden speaks
with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at the G20 Summit opening
session in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022.
PRASETYO UTOMO/G20 Media Center/Handout via REUTERS
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Although India is part of the Biden administration's signature Asian
engagement project, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), it
has opted against joining the IPEF trade pillar negotiations.
The initiative also includes a joint effort on space and
high-performance quantum computing.
General Electric Co, meanwhile, is asking the U.S. government for
permission to produce jet engines with India that would power
aircraft operated and produced by India, according to the White
House, which says a review is underway.
New Delhi said that the U.S. government would review General
Electric’s application expeditiously and that the two countries
would focus on joint production of “key items of mutual interest” in
defense.
The two countries also established a quantum technology coordination
mechanism and agreed to set up a task force with India’s
Semiconductor Mission, the India Electronics Semiconductor
Association (IESA) and the U.S. Semiconductor Industry Association
(SIA) to promote the development of semiconductor ecosystems.
India’s space program will work with NASA on human space flight
opportunities and other projects, the Indian statement said.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; Additional reporting by Krishn
Kaushik in Delhi; Editing by Chris Sanders, Josie Kao, Himani
Sarkar, Y.P. Rajesh and Gerry Doyle)
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