Indian External Affairs Minister to begin US visit; future ties may still face challenges: analyst

Indian External Affairs Minister to begin US visit; future ties may still face challenges: analyst

《 By Liu Xin Published: Dec 24, 2024 Global Times 》 

Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is set to begin a visit to the US on Tuesday, with plans to meet both the Biden administration officials and members of the Trump transition team. Some Chinese analysts said that the visit aim to maintain consistency in US-India relations and ensure the continuity of the US' "Indo-Pacific Strategy," but future ties between the two countries may still face challenges.

Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
Photo: AFP

Jaishankar will visit the US from December 24 to 29. He will be meeting counterparts to discuss key bilateral, regional and global issues. During the visit, Jaishankar will also chair a conference of the Consul Generals of India in the US, according to a release from India's Ministry of External Affairs on Monday. 

The timing of this visit is linked to the impending transition in the US government, and India hopes to use this moment to maintain the consistency of US-India relations and ensure the continuity and stability of the US' "Indo-Pacific Strategy," Liu Zongyi, director of the Center for South Asia Studies at the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Jaishankar may urge the Biden administration to honor previous agreements, particularly regarding technology transfers, to avoid changes in the new administration, Liu said. 

The Hindu cited sources as saying that the Biden administration is keen to schedule one last meeting of the national security advisor-level initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) before demitting office. 

According to The Wire, the iCET, launched in February 2023, focuses on technology transfer negotiations, including the GE-F414 jet engine deal.

The Hindu reported that Jaishankar and Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who is already in Washington for Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), are expected to engage with members of the Trump transition team. 

Recent incidents, including the indictment of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani by US authorities and the assassination attempt on a Sikh activist, have strained US-India relations, Liu said, noting that India does not want to see deterioration of bilateral ties and it is seeking to engage with the Trump team on critical issues such as tariffs and immigration.

While India has actively engaged in the US' "Indo-Pacific Strategy," which is seen by India as aligns with its own strategic ambitions and it seeks to prevent US withdrawal from the region under the new administration, however future US-India ties, and cooperation between the two countries may still face challenges due to historical factors and India's national characteristics, Liu said.⍐