 "US President-elect Donald Trump has picked Congressman Mike Waltz to be his National Security Advisor (NSA), as per reports. (Photo: AP)")
US President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for National Security Advisor (NSA), Mike Waltz, is not just a China hawk. He is also an advocate of closer ties with India.
Waltz is a Republican member of House of Representatives from Florida. He is the co-chair of the India caucus in Congress.
Waltz has called for the formalisation of the India-US relationship into an alliance and has pitched it as a win-win situation.
Here are five ways in which Waltz, a military veteran, has called for greater India-US ties.
‘It’s time for an alliance with India’
In 2021, Waltz co-authored an article in Wall Street Journal in which he called for the formalisation of India-US relationship.
Indicting the Joe Biden administration of failing to do enough to stand with allies and partners, they write that the practice to build stronger relationships has to start with India.
“As a nuclear power with more than 1 million troops, a growing navy, a top-tier space program, and a proven history of economic and military cooperation with the United States, India would make a strong ally. An alliance with India would allow both countries to maintain and expand their global strength. And together with Japan and Australia, it would enable the United States to form a real deterrent to potential terrorist threats in Afghanistan as well as counter China,” said Waltz.
‘India recognises China is threat’
Waltz has said that India, just like the United States, realises the “growing threat” of China.
“Like the United States, India recognizes that China is a rapidly growing threat. Not only is it attempting to capitalize on our withdrawal from Afghanistan, which goes against both the United States and India’s interests, China is also pressuring India on its own borders,” said Waltz and Haley in the WSJ article.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts‘Bulwark against 2-front conflict’
While Waltz and Haley acknowledged the benefits of the alliance for the United States, they said it would also benefit India as it faces the dual challenge from Pakistan and China at northern and western borders.
“For India, a US alliance would be a bulwark against a two-fronted conflict on its borders. For the United States, an alliance would help blunt Pakistan’s influence—a state sponsor of terrorism now propped up by Chinese investments—in Afghanistan. We need a new partner to prevent the creation of a terrorist super state that can attack our country again,” said Waltz and Haley.
Praise for India’s ban of TikTok
Amid calls to ban Chinese social media platform TikTok, Waltz said on X: “India has banned it. So should America.”
India banned TikTok in 2020.
Following a push by China hawks, the United States Congress passed a bill to ban TikTok if it would not be sold to a non-China entity. Outgoing President Joe Biden signed the bill into law.
‘Most important partnership in 21st century’
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the United States last year, Waltz said that the India-US relationship is the most important for the 21st century.
“This will be the most important partnership for the U.S. in the 21st century,” said Waltz in a post on X while sharing photo of Modi’s address to the joint session of the Congress.