Indo – US Relationships in the Biden Era

Is Joe Biden Good For India?

Joe Biden has played an essential part in systematically expanding diplomatic involvement with India, first as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee and later as Vice-President.

Biden announced his view of the prospects of U.S. Indian affairs in 2006, three years before becoming the Vice-President of the USA: “My dream is that India and the United States will be the two closest nations in the world by 2020.”

Though (then) Senator Obama initially refused to accept the Indo-US nuclear pact, he led the charge and collaborated with Democrats and Republicans in 2008 to approve the U.S. nuclear deal.

What’s his approach to Terrorism?

Joe Biden had proposed a closer alliance with India before becoming vice president of the Barack Obama administration.

Obama and Biden have further enhanced their collaboration with India in countering terrorism in each country and in the region.

“In Southern Asia, Biden thinks that there can be no tolerance – cross-border or any other way,” says the campaign report.

Though he said nothing about Pakistan-sponsored terrorism during his administration tenure, New Delhi hopes to continue with the legacy of the US Government’s approach to India- Pakistan in terms of Tran’s boundary terrorism.

What’s their Stand On China?

In recent years, Washington has been made aware of China’s hostile actions and a slightly bipartisan perception of China as the geopolitical competitor and challenge by Democrats and Republicans.

Although India’s support for the border standing with China in the last six months is highly vocal in its Trump government, New Delhi still expects the Biden administration to take a similar approach.

You have to watch and wait for Biden, but the vocabulary and rhetoric of U.S. officials can be complex.

“A Biden administration will also work with India in support of the Indo Pacific region that is regulated and stable and in which no country, including China, is in a position to impunity its neighbours,” says the campaign report.

While the officials of the Trump administration, including State Secretary Michael R Pompeo, publicly criticised the Communist Party, Biden should be more nuanced in his words.

What about Visa’s for the Indian Workforce and Visa’s?

Since liberalism is more liberal towards immigration, Biden is probably to be harsher towards Americans who read, work, and live and desire a better life in the United States.

He promises to encourage family immigration, expand the number of permits available for permanent and labor-based immigration, and reform the temporary visa system for highly-skilled, specialized workers to abolish job-based green card restrictions. He also vowed to resume the green card holder’s naturalization process.

But, following the tightening of the Trump administration rules, specific approaches introduced over the last four years could not be straightforward for Biden to undo.