US Congressman Ro Khanna on Monday backed India over the ongoing border issue with China, asserting that Beijing should respect New Delhi’s territorial integrity. Khanna, alongside Congressman Michael Waltz, co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans and is currently leading a Congressional delegation to India.
India and China are also locked in a lingering border standoff in eastern Ladakh for the past three years. The bilateral relationship came under severe strain following the deadly clash in Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh in June 2020. These comments come as both neighbours on Monday held a fresh round of military talks with a focus on the disengagement of troops in the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh and to ease overall tensions in the region.
In an interview with news agency ANI, Khanna said, “It is very important that we keep India’s sovereignty. …They (China) need to respect India’s border and this is why we went to the Western Naval Command with the Indian Navy and we are also working very closely with the American Navy to make sure that the Arabian Sea remains free for navigation and that Indian Ocean remains free and we will continue to strengthen that relationship.”
In a separate conversation with PTI, Khanna underscored the US commitment to expanding engagement with India, aiming to cultivate one of the 21st century’s most pivotal global relationships. The Indian-American lawmaker argued for deeper cooperation in critical technological and defense domains, emphasising the mutual benefits for both nations and the broader world.
“The India-US relationship has never been so stronger. It is building on defence cooperation, economic cooperation, technology cooperation, cooperation on climate,” he said.
Khanna celebrated the robustness of the India-US ties, highlighting its foundations in defence, economic and technological cooperation. He lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s successful visit to the US, noting President Joe Biden’s forthcoming visit to India in September as a testament to their ongoing commitment to strengthening the relationship.
The US lawmaker also hailed growing India-US cooperation in the maritime security domain. “I am very pleased to see that the Indian Navy is doing exercises with the American Navy to make sure that the Arabian Sea is safe for free shipping lines,” he added.
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