U.S. launches partnership with India to counter China

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U.S. launches partnership with India to counter China

WASHINGTON Reuters - The White House is launching a partnership with India on Tuesday and President Joe Biden hopes that the countries will compete against China on military equipment, semiconductors and artificial intelligence.

Washington wants to bring more Western mobile phone networks to 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 are meeting 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 on to 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, Adani Enterprises and Applied Materials.

While India is part of the Biden administration's signature Asian engagement project, the IPEF has opted not to join the trade pillar negotiations because of the fact that it is part of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.

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

General Electric is asking the U.S. government for permission 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.