NEW YORK, 13 March, 2021 (TON): Soon after the Quad Summit, the U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will visit India to meet his counterpart Rajnath Singh, Pentagon official said.

After the summit, acting Assistant Defense Secretary for Indo-Pacific, David F. Helvey said on Friday, ”In New Delhi, Austin will discuss the major defense partnership that we have with India, including through enhanced information sharing, regional security cooperation, defense trade, and cooperation in new domains”

 He said India is “an important strategic partnership that involves cooperation with like-minded nations committed to protecting the rules-based international order”.

Helvey said that Austin has “signaled a very early interest in focusing the department on China. He has identified China as the pacing threat and the pacing challenge for the Department”.

“His initial steps kind of demonstrate that this is going to be an area of continued focus, and the participation in this trip, follow-on travel to India, will provide an opportunity for exchange of views early on with key allies and partners about how we can work together and expand cooperation to support a rules-based international order.”

Considering both countries’ concern over Indo-Pacific; Washington focuses on China as an emerging threat.

Last year India and China faced border incursions killing several soldiers on both the sides.

India was designated as a major defense partner by the US in 2016 allowing it access to some defense hi-tech that would normally be available to only allies.