During their discussions at the White House last month, PM Modi and Biden “Plurality of Their Time” on China: Report

According to a senior administration source familiar with the conversation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden spent the most of their time talking about China and its leader Xi Jinping during their meeting in the Oval Office last month.

According to the senior administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the Oval Office meeting between Modi and Biden spent the majority of the time talking about China and the encounters they had with Xi. Both had known him for a long time and had worked very hard to develop a relationship with him before ultimately giving up.

China, according to the source, was a hot topic of conversation. The individual involved with the conversations between the two leaders last month said, “In reality it (China) is not the glue of our relationship at all, but it’s one of the factors and I think we’re gonna have that glue for a long time to come.”

During the prime minister’s state visit to the US from June 21 to June 23, Modi and Biden spent the whole three days together. Biden and Modi spent more than eight hours together on June 22 during which time the US president hosted the prime minister at the White House in the morning and the State Dinner in the evening.

According to the person, both India and the US consider China to be a significant national security challenge, and the Biden administration believes New Delhi has handled Beijing better than Washington has. The insider pointed out that when Uzra Zeya, the Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, met with the Dalai Lama in New Delhi a few weeks ago, the Chinese sort of lost it.

In some respects, they (the Indians) were in front of us. In terms of fending off the danger from China, it is far more existential for them. They have really shown a path ahead for what de-risking looks like, whether it be via the banning of TikTok or the development of mobile networks without the use of Chinese hardware. And that’s why I believe they’re so negative,” the official stated. However, they continue to rely heavily on Chinese products, just as we do. They have found China to be a major annoyance in the G-20. The person mentioned Russia as well, providing a glimpse into the G-20 meetings and the delicate balancing act India is doing to bring all players together.

The official said that the connection between India and the United States has never been stronger than it is today and added that since Prime Minister Modi’s visit, it has never been more deeply ingrained in the president’s mind. According to certain surveys, both America and Modi are rated at 80% popularity in India.

“America is as well-liked in India as Modi is. According to the source, there is a great deal of goodwill for Americans and America there as well as a desire to strengthen ties. That’s not simply apparent at the very top, where we often read or hear about it. I believe it is below that at the business-to-business level of government-to-government relations. People to people after that,” the official stated.

Contrarily, if the bridge between America and India were a steel-reinforced four-lane highway, a sturdy, solid bridge, I would compare it to a rope bridge with every other board missing in years past. For instance, we are nowhere near as familiar with India and its people as they are with Americans and their people. Referring to several high-level trips to India, the official said that she believed things was starting to change. Rarely a week or two goes by without a significant US government official visiting the nation. On the business side, there seems to be a constant flow of CEOs. The source said that although some have better methods than others, everyone is racing toward India.

It’s one of those instances where, if you turn back the clock 15 years, China was lifting people out of poverty and into the middle class at this rate. In fact, India is moving forward a bit more quickly than China did 15 or 20 years ago. You just need to look at the numbers to see that India has overtaken China as the top source of student visas, that investment is at a record high, and that we are now India’s top trade partner for the first time. And still more other measures,” the official said.

“In many respects, this is the most important nation to them and is quickly overtaking others. One of our most important connections, the president stated. According to him, at least in terms of development and the future, this is the most significant partnership we have, the official stated.