NEW DELHI: The US National Defence Authorisation Act 2020 lays out for the first time a clear roadmap for leveraging the Indo-Pacific to counter Chinese expansionist moves. The document also makes it clear that the US Secretary of Defence will at any given point of time have ready ‘three long-term competitive strategies’ to meet the Chinese challenge. Both these will add teeth to the American deployment in the Indo-Pacific region.The NDAA envisages having a theatre campaign plan and widening the training of friendly countries in the Indo-Pacific region. New paragraphs have been added in regard to the US Secretary of Defence notifying the Congress on such assistance and training. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russia President Vladimir Putin during a meeting in June at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, had decided to widen their economic partnership in the Arctic region.

Source: Economic Times December 31, 2019 02:44 UTC