India, US taking steps to counter threats: Mike Pompeo

New Delhi: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has slammed the Chinese Communist Party as the US sought to expand strategic partnership with India to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific region at the third edition of the 2+2 ministerial in New Delhi on Tuesday. “I am glad to say the United States and India are taking steps for cooperation against all manners of threats and not just those posed by the Chinese Communist Party,” Pompeo said after he and defence secretary Esper held talks with foreign minister S Jaishankar and defence minister Rajnath Singh.

“Our leaders and our citizens see with increasing clarity CCP is no friend to democracy, the rule of law, transparency, the freedom of navigation (which is) the foundation of afree and prosperous Indo-Pacific.” They discussed the People’s Liberation Army’s incursion in eastern Ladakh, which has created a border standoff for 175 days and led to killing of troops in Galwan, EThas learnt. The issue figured at the meeting between NSA AK Doval with Pompeo and Esper too. The 2+2 meeting discussed ways to deepen the relationship to ensure a safe, stable and rule based regional and global security environment. Pompeo and Esper also called on PM Modi. They reaffirmed efforts to enhance supply chain resilience and to seek options to the current paradigm, which had come under severe strain during the pandemic.

Jaishankar targeted China’s aggression in veiled fashion: “The Indo-Pacific region was a particular focus of our talks. We reiterated the importance of peace, stability and prosperity for all countries in this region. As the raksha mantri stated, this is possible only by upholding rules based international order, ensuring the freedom of navigation in the international seas, promoting open connectivity and respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all states. A multi-polar world must have a multi-polar Asia as its basis.” Later answering a query, he avoided direct reference to China. “The challenges that came from the pandemic that originated in Wuhan also led to robust discussions about the Chinese Communist Party,” Pompeo told reporters.