For US President Joe Biden, Asia begins in New Delhi and ends in Tokyo. This definition of the continent was also the case with the administrations that preceded his. Afghanistan, the country with which the US had been engaged for two decades, is a case apart. The geographic space beyond Kabul is the Middle East. If these definitions are correct, Pakistan does not figure in Washington’s thinking. The Americans think of Islamabad only when their strategic interests are involved. This approach dates back to the Ayub Khan and Ziaul Haq eras when Pakistan’s participation was needed to stop the advance of the Soviet Union into Afghanistan and South Asia. When Gen Pervez Musharraf was in charge in Pakistan, President George W Bush left the Pakistani president with little choice but to participate in Washington’s ‘war on terror’. These are no longer concerns for Washington and the administrations that operate from that city are happy to ignore Pakistan. India is the current favourite for three reasons. As discussed later, India was included in the 13-country alliance Biden announced on May 23 as he was concluding his visit to Asia. Pakistan was not invited to join.
There are several reasons why India has drawn close to the US. The first is the growing influence of the Indian diaspora in American politics as well as economics. Several large American companies are now headed by people of Indian origin, and some occupy important policy-making positions in the Biden administration. The second reason is the belief that India could counter China’s growing influence not only in Asia but in places beyond the continent. The arrangement known as ‘Quad’ — the name given by a former Japanese PM — includes, in addition to his county, the US, India and Australia. The third reason is the interest corporate America has in the large growing Indian market. The Economist, the British news magazine, wrote a cover story on India in May 2022 titled ‘India’s moment: Will Modi blow it?’ “For India to grow 7% or 8% for years to come would be momentous,” wrote the magazine. “It would lift huge numbers of people out of poverty. It would generate a vast new market and manufacturing base for global business, and it would change the global balance of power by creating a big challenge to China in Asia. Fate, inheritance and pragmatic decisions have created a new opportunity in the next decade. It is India’s and Mr Modi’s to squander.”
