Indian Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Kwatra, recently held talks with John Moolenaar, Chairman of the US House Select Committee on China. The meeting underscored the growing importance of India-US relations in the face of China’s expanding global influence.
According to a statement issued by the Committee, discussions covered a wide spectrum—regional security, defense cooperation under the Quad framework, trade, and ongoing efforts to relocate critical manufacturing chains from China to India. Both sides highlighted the need for stronger economic and strategic collaboration to address shared challenges.
Chairman Moolenaar described India as “the world’s largest democracy and an essential partner for global security.” He noted that India has experienced the Chinese Communist Party’s aggression directly and emphasized New Delhi’s role as a vital security partner of Washington. He also praised the deepening defense-industrial ties between the two nations, stressing that cooperation with India strengthens American security as well.
The US lawmaker also commended India’s firm stance against Chinese influence in the technology space. Referring to India’s 2020 decision to ban TikTok and several other Chinese apps after the Galwan Valley clashes, Moolenaar called New Delhi a global leader in countering “malign CCP-directed technology and social media companies.” He added that a free and secure India cannot allow the CCP to manipulate information, underlining that shared democratic values remain the cornerstone of the partnership.
The Committee statement highlighted the strategic dimension of India’s decisions, especially within the context of countering China’s regional ambitions. It also reaffirmed the significance of the Quad grouping, which brings together India, the US, Japan, and Australia, as a central pillar of security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
The meeting followed Ambassador Kwatra’s recent visit to the Pentagon, where he met US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, Elbridge Colby. Kwatra described their discussion as highly productive, noting that they reviewed key initiatives in the India-US defense pipeline and charted an actionable path forward. Colby echoed the sentiment, calling it a “valuable discussion” and expressing the Department of Defense’s commitment to further elevating cooperation with India.
Overall, the interactions signal a renewed momentum in India-US ties, reflecting a shared vision of countering China’s influence while advancing collective security and economic resilience.
