Finance
In light of growing ties between Moscow and Beijing, a top US lawmaker has warned India against “compromised” Chinese elements in technology it may have imported from Russia.
“We don’t want to be in a situation where for some reason, the Russians somehow have given technology that’s compromised by the CCP to India or others that could be taken advantage of by the CCP,” said Raja Krishnamoorthi, the top Democrat and the ranking member of the newly established House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the US and the Communist Party of China (CCP), in an interview.
“I think there’s just a very detailed conversation that’s probably happening and should happen between our governments with regard to a whole range of technology now that we believe that it’s critical to our collective security,” he added.
The compromised parts could provide the Chinese with access to Indian defense systems and/or American hardware used by Indians.
With Indian purchases of American military hardware at an all-time high, Washington DC has been concerned that sensitive-technology military hardware sold to India could be accessed by Russia via equipment that floods Indian armouries. This has been cited as a major concern by Americans as they unsuccessfully press India to cancel its order for the Russian S-400 air missile defense system. They also claim that the presence of Russian equipment hampered interoperability between the Indian and US militaries.
Asked about India’s ties with Russia, the lawmaker, who was born in New Delhi and came to the US when he was three, said, “I understand the historical ties between the Indians and the Russians. And I also understand the practical nature of the relationship. I hope that over time, the US can prove to be a reliable source of security equipment. But also, we can deepen our ties so that the Indians aren’t as dependent on the Russians for certain critical items.”
In recent years, India has significantly reduced its reliance on Russia, and the US has been among the countries rushing in to fill that space, along with others, by, among other things, upgrading India’s access to sensitive technology to parity with close allies.
In light of this growing proximity, Americans have publicly urged India to reconsider its relations with Russia. “I do believe that the CCP and the Russians have entered into a rather unholy relationship right now with regard to Ukraine and other matters that I don’t think are in the best long-term interests of the world,” said Krishnamoorthi, who previously served on the House Permanent Select Committee that oversees the work of the America’s 17 intelligence agencies.
Ties between Russia and China have grown dramatically close in recent times, especially in 2022 when Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping declared their relationship has “no limits”. “The new inter-state relations between Russia and China are superior to political and military alliances of the Cold War era,” the two countries said in a joint statement following their meeting in February 2022. There are no ‘forbidden’ areas of cooperation in the friendship between the two countries.”
Congressman Krishnamoorthi is a rising star in the Democratic Party, and as the lead Democrat on the China committee, he goes against the claims of other Democrats.
“I’m honoured to be the first Indian American to ever lead either Democrats or Republicans on any select committee or standing committee in Congress,” he said, adding, “I’m honoured to have the opportunity to work on this particular assignment. I think leader (Hakeem) Jeffries (the top Democrat in the House of Representatives and Minority Leader) is to be strongly commended for the new voices that he’s bringing to leadership and the discussion of these critical issues in this Congress – makes him the first Indian American ever to lead a standing or a select committee for both Democrats and Republicans.”
This panel – variously called the China Committee and the tough-on China committee – was set up by this new Republican-led House in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote by Republicans and Democrats. Republican Mike Gallagher, a China hawk, is the chairman.
Krishnamoorthi said the committee’s charter is “to investigate and report upon the economic, technological and national security challenges posed by the Chinese Communist Party, also known as the CCP, to the United States.”
Source:IANS
