US-India Strategic Partnership

US-India have emerged as major strategic allies in the 21st century.

Civil Nuclear Deal 2007-08:

$29 billion deal were signed by US with India. 8 civil nuclear reactors were established by
US in India. More than 15,000 MW electricity added to the system due to these civil nuclear
reactors. These civil nuclear reactors not only added electricity but also enhanced enrichment
capacities of India. The number of nuclear reactors have increased in India. Secondly, India
can import Uranium from any country in the world after this deal. India itself is short of
Uranium reserves. Thirdly, this deal also provided India with an opportunity to sign more
deals with Canada, Japan, Australia etc. Fourthly, India would have Uranium in abundance
after these deals which would not only be used for electricity generation but also for military
purposes by enhancing its nuclear stock-piles.
India’s increasing Uranium capacity has become a potential threat for Pakistan. First of all, it
would use Uranium for acquiring more nuclear bombs which threatens the security of
Pakistan. Secondly, India is trying to become a permanent member of nuclear supplier group
that would provide daily with opportunity to block Pakistan’s way into the group.

US-India Defence Collaboration:

First of all, US has become the largest supplier of asymmetric warfare technologies to India.
Airborne helicopters handed over to India in 2018. It provides India with an opportunity to
carry out surgical strikes (pin-point accuracy/precision/no or least collateral damage/return to
the base safely) in Pakistan. Special forces conduct operations through airborne helicopters.
These helicopters cannot be detected on radar. Another key technology is drone. US has
provided drone as a surveillance technology, which are used for surveilling the bordering
areas of Pakistan with India.
Secondly, US-India have entered into increasing cooperation in the air force. First of all, the
jet engine of Teja aircraft is provided by US to India. The two countries have also signed a
deal to produce F-16 Block 60 in India. IF this happens, India would have an upper hand on
Pakistan in the air fight/dog fight. From 1984 till 2016, Pakistan had an upper hand over India
in the airforce because of having F-16. But India acquired Rafael (French jet-fighters) from
France, which can hit 300km inside Pakistan while staying within the boundaries of India. If
it acquires F-16 Block 60, that would be the updated version. India would have upper hand in
the air force against Pakistan.
Thirdly, US and India have become strategic partners in the navy. Both the countries are the
part of strategic alliance called QUAD. It has 4 key members: US, India, Japan, Australia.
The alliance carry out exercises in Indian Ocean especially Arabian Sea and Pacific Ocean.
US has also become the largest provider of drones used for targeting warships and
submarines to India. There is an increasing number of warships provided by US to India. The
main objective of the alliance of the two countries is to contain China in the Indian Ocean
Region (IOR). But at the same time, the maritime security concerns of Pakistan have
tremendously increased in the Arabian Sea, as the Indian submarines are repeatedly violating
the territorial water rights of Pakistan.

Reasons for the Strategic Partnership between US and India:

Interest determines the nature of relations among nations. If the interests are of long-term,
relations would also be of long-term. If interests are of mid-term, relations established among
nations would also be of mid-term. If interests are of short-term, there would be disposable
relations among nations. If the interests are economic-driven, then relations among nations
would also be dominated by economics. But if the interests are security-driven, then the
relations among nations would also be increasing defence-collaboration among nations.
US-India relations are mainly of long-term and strategic in nature because of the long-term
and strategic interest of each other. First of all, China is the common threat. Both India and
US want to contain China’s expansion in the Indian Ocean Region and Pacific Ocean. China
has evolved as the major economic competitor of US and India. China and India have long-
standing territorial disputes. Therefore, India needs strong military support of US to counter-
balance China. India needs weapons and US needs an export market.

Why Pakistan and US have not been able to enter into long-term and strategic
partnership:
The interests of Pakistan have been long-term in relation to US. US being the largest
exporting market for Pakistani goods. Secondly, Pakistan has always preferred US
weaponries. Thirdly, Pakistan has over-whelming dependency on IMF, and IMF provides
loans/funds to Pakistan with the approval of Washington.
But unfortunately, the interest of US related to Pakistan have always been either of mid-term
or short-term. In the early 1950s and 1960s, US needed Pakistani airbases for the surveillance
of USSR in Afghanistan. In 1980s, US needed Pakistan as a frontline state in the Afghanistan
Jihad against USSR. During War on Terror, US needed Pakistan as a major supply line for
the NATO troops in Afghanistan and using Pakistani airbases for using drones against
Taliban and al-Qaeda. In 2020-21, US needed the help of Pakistan to bring Taliban on the
dialogue table and strike a deal with US in Doha (Qatar). Furthermore, it needed Pakistan for
the pull-out of US and NATO troops from Afghanistan.
Therefore, strategic partnership was never preferred by US with Pakistan. It mainly adopted
disposable policies like providing aid, limited variety of weapons that could be used against
guerilla. Threat-based diplomacy like suspending the supplies, aids and coalition support
funds etc to pressurize Pakistan to cooperate.

Options with Pakistan: Pakistan-China Strategic Collaboration

Pakistan-China are strategic partners. There is increasing geo-strategic collaboration on one
hand and geo-economic partnership on the other between the two countries.
Pakistan-China Civil Nuclear deals: In 2015, agreements were signed on two civil nuclear
reactors, K2 and K3 Nuclear Powerplants. Both are operational now. Each generates 1100
MW electricity (total 2200 MW). In the early 2000s, Pakistan signed agreements on series of
nuclear reactors like C1, C2, C3, C4. All are complete and each generates 320 MW
electricity. C5 is under construction that would generate 1100 MW electricity. In these 7
nuclear reactors, Pakistan imports enriched Uranium rods from China. Uranium as raw-
material is not imported and the enrichment capacity of Pakistan has not been increased with
the help of these reactors. There is a need of enhancing increasing the enrichment capacity of
Pakistan.
Pakistan-China Defence Collaboration: Pakistan has become the largest importer of
Chinese weapons in the world. China has also ensured the transfer of military technologies to
Pakistan. First of all, Pakistan has developed JF-17 Thunder with the help of China, that has
become a leading jet-fighter of Pakistan’s air-defence. China has also provided J10-C, the
leading jet-fighter of Chinese air-force. Pakistan has also purchased air-to-air missiles from
China that could easily target the Indian jet-fighters up to 300km like Rafael within the
Indian boundaries. This has helped in strengthening the air-defence system of Pakistan.
Pakistan has also entered into increasing naval collaboration with China. Pakistan has
purchased 3 warships from China till date. It has signed agreements of purchasing 9 more
warships, 4 of which would be locally produced in the Karachi Shipyard in Pakistan. Pakistan
has also signed agreement to purchase 8 submarines from China, 4 of which would be locally
produced in Karachi. This would help in updating and expanding the naval defence of
Pakistan, and would help Pakistan navy to counter the Indian threat in the Arabian Sea.
Pakistan has also offered China to invest more in the defence industry of Pakistan. The
production of updated and modernized small weapons that could be used against guerilla. The
production of artillery and armoured-core would be expanded. Under SIFC, Pakistan has
decided to privatize its defence industry and attract investors from abroad primarily from
China.
Pakistan-China Geo-economic Collaboration: CPEC is the classic example of geo-
economic collaboration between Pakistan and China. Under CPEC, China has made
investment in the diverse sectors of Pakistan, like firstly, investment of $33 billion in
electricity generation and transmission. Secondly, the construction of motorways, highways,
Mainline 1, Dry Ports, Gwadar Seaports and other transport projects in Pakistan. Thirdly,
China would invest in 9 special economic zones or industrial zones in Pakistan, that would at
least double the industrial productivity of Pakistan. Fourthly, China would invest in the
agricultural sector of Pakistan.

Reasons for the long-term and strategic partnership between Pakistan and China:
The interest of both the countries are long-term and strategic in nature. Pakistan needs
weapons, China needs market. Pakistan needs civil nuclear reactors, China needs market.
Pakistan needs investment, China has to relocate its industries and meets its agricultural
demands. Pakistan wants to become a transit corridor, China wants a shorter access to
Middle-East, Africa and South Asia.

BRICS

BRICS is the emerging organization of the global south. Originally, it comprised upon Brazil,
Russia, India, China, South Africa. But 6 more countries, Saudi Arabia, Iran, UAE, Egypt,
Ethiopia and Argentina were added to it. Argentina pulled out but the rest all reconfirmed
their alliance to the organization.
The GDP of the organization is approximately 32% of the World GDP, in which China is
nearly 20 trillion dollars, the world’s second largest economy. India is approximately of 4
trillion dollars economy, the world’s fifth largest economy. Russia nearly 1.8 trillion dollars
of economy. Saudi Arabia, Brazil and South Africa are approximately 1 trillion dollars plus
economies each. Egypt, UAE and Iran are more than 0.5 trillion dollars of economies each.
The economic and geo-political objectives of BRICS are multiple.
1. First of all, it promotes intraorganizational trade. All the member nations agreed on
removing the tariff and non-tariff barriers on trade. This would help increasing trade
among the countries of the global south. The BRICS nations, like Saudi Arabia,
Russia, Iran and UAE, are the major producers of hydrocarbons in the world. At the
same time, China, India, South Africa, and Brazil are among the major consumers of
hydrocarbons in the world. In future, the hydrocarbon trade of these countries would
increase with each other.
2. BRICS Bank or New Development Bank (NDB) has been established. In 2015, it was
decided to contribute $100 billion to the bank by the members, in which China agreed
to contribute $41 billion, India, Brazil, Russia to contribute $18 billion each, South
Africa would contribute $12 billion. The addition of the 5 new countries would add to
further financial capacities of the bank. The bank has to provide loans to the countries
of the global south incase of budget deficit or balance-of-payment crises. It would
also provide aid for social welfare activities among the member nation countries. It
would also provide funds for developmental projects. It means the BRICS nations
have decided to minimize their dependency on IMF and WB by enhancing the
capacities of NDB.
3. BRICS nations have decided to trade with each other by mutually swapping their
currencies against each other. India-Russia trade in future would not be conducted in
dollars, rather in Indian Rupee vs Ruble. China-Russia trade would be conducted in
Yuan vs Ruble. Saudi Arabia-China trade would be conducted in Riyal vs Yuan.
Futhermore, the Chinese President Xi Jinping suggested BRICS members to have a
common currency like Euro of European Union. All these moves would increasingly
de-dollarize the international trade. The more the de-dollarization of international
trade, the more the setback to US as a global leader.
4. The idea of south-south cooperation is adopted by BRICS. G7 Countries have been
focusing on the development of the global north., i.e US and Europe. All its policies
have been predominantly in the favour of the north. Resultantly, there is uneven
development, where the north is developed and the south is mainly underdeveloped.
Therefore, BRICS would mainly focus on the development of the south, by trading
with each other, launching more developmental projects in the global south, and
providing aid for the social welfare activities in member nations.