US woos India as tech partner to counter China

US and Indian officials are working on new partnerships in defense technologies, advanced telecommunications and semiconductors.

Officials from the United States and India agreed on Tuesday to expand cooperation on advanced weaponry, supercomputing, semiconductors and other high-tech areas, as the Biden administration is seeking to strengthen ties with its Asian allies and offset China's dominance in cutting-edge technology.

The agreements follow two days of high-level meetings in Washington between government officials and leaders of dozens of companies, the first as part of a new dialogue on critical and emerging technologies that President Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in Tokyo in May.

Jake Sullivan, the adviser to U.S. national security, told reporters on Tuesday that the goal was al tech to be "the next big step" in U.S.-India relations after a 2016 energy cooperation agreement nuclear. He described the effort as "a fundamental part of a comprehensive strategy to put the entire Indo-Pacific democratic world in a position of strength".

The deals will be a test of whether the Biden administration can follow through on its "friendshoring" proposal by moving manufacturing of certain critical components to friendly countries. Biden officials have expressed concern about the United States' continued heavy reliance on China for semiconductors, telecom parts and other important goods. In recent months, they have cracked down on the sale of advanced semiconductor technologies to China, in an effort to thwart an industry that the White House says could give China a military advantage.

Many companies have struggled to secure the factory space and skilled workers they would need to move their supply chains out of China. India has a highly skilled workforce and a government keen to attract more international investment, but multinationals seeking to operate there continue to complain of onerous regulations, inadequate infrastructure and poor infrastructure. 'other obstacles.

Mr. Biden and Mr. Modi are also propelling closer U.S.-India cooperation in efforts to strengthen their countries' industrial and innovation bases, Mr. Sullivan said.

Partnerships announced on Tuesday include an agreement between US and Indian national science agencies to cooperate on artificial intelligence and advanced wireless technology, as well as other areas.

Countries also pledged to accelerate efforts to jointly produce and develop certain defense technologies, including jet engines, artillery systems and armored infantry vehicles. The United States said it would seek to quickly consider a new General Electric proposal to produce a jet engine with India.

Officials also said they would work together to facilitate construction. -from an advanced mobile network in India and seek new cooperation in semiconductor production, including efforts to help India strengthen research and production of chips that would complement major investments in the industry in the United States.

The new dialogue would include efforts to overcome regulatory hurdles, as well as visa restrictions that have prevented talented Indians from working in the United States. United, the countries said.

But experts said India should continue to reform its licensing system and taxation to attract more foreign manufacturing companies . And the United States should reform restrictions on the transfer of defense-related technologies outside the country, it said, if it hopes to work with India to produce jet engines and the like...