Washington, Dec 10 (UNI): Calling the U.S.–India partnership “a defining relationship of the 21st century,” House Subcommittee Chairman Bill Huizenga warned that strengthening strategic alignment with New Delhi is essential for countering China’s aggression, stabilising the Indo-Pacific and safeguarding democratic norms, as he opened a key Congressional hearing on bilateral relations.
Delivering opening remarks at a House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing titled “The US–India Strategic Partnership: Securing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” Huizenga said the relationship “is no longer just important,” but central to global stability, resilient supply chains and democratic norms.
“If America wants a free Indo-Pacific resilient supply chains and a world where democracy, not authoritarianism, sets the rules, then our partnership with India is critical. While the partnership has been nuanced since India gained Independence in 1947, and India’s nonalignment posture shaped its strategic identity, the United States and the Republic of India share a common vision of a free, open and secure Indo-Pacific rooted in democratic values and a deep desire for freedom,” he said.
He emphasised that the United States “does not see India as a temporary or transactional partner,” noting that every American administration has worked to deepen ties with New Delhi since India’s Independence.
However, he flagged recent developments that have raised concerns in Washington. “President Putin’s warm visit to India last week and India’s participation in China’s SCO summit this September raised some understandable concerns,” he said.
Huizenga also underscored US worries about India’s continuing reliance on Russian oil.
“India has agreed to purchase more American energy, thereby significantly reducing its reliance on Russia.” Sharing a conversation with Latvian parliamentarians earlier in the day, he said, “The first thing they brought up was to please ask them to stop buying Russian oil so that they don’t have the cash to be a threat to us. So, message received, message delivered.”
He said, “Authoritarian powers like China and Russia are redrawing borders by force, undermining democratic norms and coercing their neighbors. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Indo-Pacific, where an increasingly aggressive China threatens regional stability, global prosperity and the open flow of commerce.
Turning to China’s growing assertiveness, Huizenga warned that Beijing’s expansionist posture was destabilising the region. “China’s string of pearls ideology is no longer just a theory,” he said. “We cannot allow this to happen. India knows these risks firsthand.”
He noted that Chinese forces had killed Indian soldiers along the LAC since 2020, prompting New Delhi to “respond decisively” by pushing back militarily and limiting China’s influence in the region.
Highlighting deepening defence and counterterrorism cooperation, Huizenga pointed out that the Trump administration designated Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and The Resistance Front (TRF) — the groups behind the “heinous attack in Pahalgam” — as Foreign Terrorist Organizations in July 2025. “This reflects our shared commitment to fighting terror wherever it occurs,” he said.
The lawmaker also hailed strong people-to-people ties, calling the Indian-American community a “living bridge of shared values, democratic principles, and economic opportunity.” More than five million Indian-Americans, he said, contribute significantly to the U.S. economy, military and innovation ecosystem.
On the economic front, Huizenga said India’s rapid growth makes it a key partner for American businesses. “American companies increasingly see India not just as a market but as a partner to innovation,” particularly in AI, communications and advanced technologies, he said. A new trade deal between the Trump administration and the Modi government, he added, “would chart a new beginning in our storied partnership.”
Huizenga said the world’s largest and soon-to-be third-largest economies must work together to “counterbalance China and preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific.” UNI AAB
