US top diplomat Antony Blinken arrives in India
July 27, 2021
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken landed in India on Tuesday, and is expected to discuss human rights, China and Afghanistan with the country's leaders.
What is on the agenda?
The top US diplomat will meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister Subrahmanyan Jaishankar on Wednesday for talks in New Delhi.
Blinken will likely seek a tighter alliance with India, in order to counteract the rise of China.
India has also been wary of Beijing, after deadly fighting last year on the Indo-Chinese-Himalayan border.
In regards to Afghanistan, the Indian government is alarmed by territorial gains made by the fundamentalist Taliban, as the US and NATO allies pull out all troops from the country.
The State Department said Blinken will address human rights under Modi's Hindu nationalist government. A controversial citizenship law passed in 2019 under Modi led to violent protests, with critics calling the policy anti-Muslim.
Modi has also been criticized for censoring social media posts that are critical of his government's response to the coronavirus pandemic.
What's the state of US-India relations?
Biden has spoken with Modi multiple times by phone during his tenure as president. The White House has offered assistance to help India combat the pandemic and develop sources of renewable energy.
In addition, Biden has nominated Indian-Americans, such as Vice President Kamala Harris and Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, to key posts in his administration.
US-India relations also flourished under former President Donald Trump, although there were some trade tensions. Trump angered Indian officials after he slapped tariffs on steel and aluminum in 2019 and revoked the country's preferential trade status.
Trump visited India in February 2020 and touted his close friendship with Modi.
The two leaders also held a joint rally in Texas in September 2019 called "Howdy, Modi!" which attracted about 50,000 people.
wd/rt (AP, AFP, dpa)