U.S. aims to help India compete against China

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U.S. aims to help India compete against China

President Joe Biden hopes to help the countries compete against China on military equipment, semiconductors and artificial intelligence, according to the White House's partnership with India on Tuesday.

Washington wants to deploy more Western mobile phone networks in the subcontinent to counter China's Huawei Technologies, to welcome more Indian computer chip specialists to the United States and to encourage companies from both countries to collaborate on military equipment like artillery systems.

The White House faces an uphill battle on every front, including U.S. restrictions on military technology transfer and visas for immigrant workers, along with India's longstanding dependence on Moscow for military hardware.

Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, and his Indian counterpart, Ajit Doval, will meet with senior officials from both countries at the White House on Tuesday to launch the U.S.-India Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies.

The larger challenge posed by China's economic practices, aggressive military moves, its efforts to dominate the industries of the future and to control supply chains of the future have had a profound impact on the thinking in Delhi, said Sullivan.

New Delhi has frustrated Washington by participating in military exercises with Russia and increasing purchases of the country's crude oil, a key source of funding for Russia's war in Ukraine. Washington has held its tongue, nudging the country on Russia, while condoning India's hawkish stance on China.

On Monday, Sullivan and Doval participated in a Chamber of Commerce event with corporate leaders from Lockheed Martin Corp, Adani Enterprises and Applied Materials Inc.

While India is part of the Biden administration's signature Asian engagement project, the IPEF has opted not to join the IPEF trade pillar negotiations.

The initiative includes a joint effort on space and high-performance quantum computing.

General Electric Co is asking the U.S. government to make jet engines with India that would power aircraft operated and produced by India, according to the White House, which says a review is underway.