US-India ties strained by Biden’s gaffes, criticism, murder plot – but ‘they need each other’

Ties took a hit when Joe Biden called India ‘xenophobic’. Washington’s criticisms – and a failed assassination plot – haven’t helped matters either

But analysts say Washington will ensure nothing gets in the way of its efforts to counter China’s rise by partnering with New Delhi

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US President Joe Biden and India Prime Minister Narendra Modi talk during the 2022 G20 leaders summit in Bali, Indonesia. Photo: AP

Published: 5:50pm, 7 May 2024

The spectre of China remains a unifying force for India and the United States, even as ties between them have been strained recently over Washington’s perceptions of New Dehli’s human rights record and an assassination attempt on American soil.

Analysts say there has been “a lot of noise” but the strategic capital Washington places on India as a counterweight to growing Chinese influence in the Indo-Pacific region would ensure bilateral relations do not spiral out of control and disagreements are compartmentalised.

In a speech addressing an Asian-American audience at a hotel fundraiser last week, US President Joe Biden referred to India as one of several countries he considered “xenophobic”, saying such nations were struggling economically because of their stance against immigrants.

Biden’s comments coincided with the release of the US State Department’s annual human rights report and a review by the bipartisan United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, both of which emphasised attacks on minority groups, the implementation of discriminatory nationalist policies, and the stifling of dissent in India.

The US has also accused India of carrying out an assassination attempt on Sikh separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on its soil, an accusation New Delhi says it is investigating.

“There is a lot of noise out there, but it is important not to see all of these different developments as reflections of the relationship under stress,” said Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Centre’s South Asia Institute.

US-India ties strained by Biden’s gaffes, criticism, murder plot – but ‘they need each other’

Ties took a hit when Joe Biden called India ‘xenophobic’. Washington’s criticisms – and a failed assassination plot – haven’t helped matters either But analysts say Washington will ensure nothing gets in the way of its efforts to counter China’s rise by partnering with New Delhi

Ties took a hit when Joe Biden called India ‘xenophobic’. Washington’s criticisms – and a failed assassination plot – haven’t helped matters either

But analysts say Washington will ensure nothing gets in the way of its efforts to counter China’s rise by partnering with New Delhi