The United States seeks to improve its relationship with India in the hope that they can together counter China's rise. However, New Delhi's doctrine of strategic autonomy and its aversion to formal alliances is frustrating Washington's ambitions.
The world's three most populous countries are locked in a power struggle across the Indo-Pacific region. The United States wants to strengthen its defense partnership with India as part of a broader effort to counter China's growing influence in the region and around the world. India, too, is interested in challenging China by asserting itself in Southeast Asia's political, economic and security domains as it pursues its "Act East" policy . But although they share a rival in common, Washington and New Delhi have different aims in their efforts to contain Beijing. The divergences in their strategies will ultimately hamper improved cooperation in the region between the United States and India. The Enemy of My Enemy… The United States is the world's pre-eminent maritime power.
