New Delhi: China on Monday said that military cooperation between India and the United States should be conducted in a manner that promotes “mutual trust” among countries in the region.
The Chinese foreign ministry’s response was in answer to a question posed by the Russian state news agency TASS about a Master Ship Repair Agreement signed between the US Navy and Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Shipbuilding Ltd that will allow US Navy ships to undergo major repairs at Indian shipyards
In reply, the Chinese foreign ministry Mao Ning said that China has a “longstanding position that military cooperation between states should not undermine regional peace and stability, target any third party, or even harm the interests of any third party”.
“We hope relevant countries will act in ways conducive to mutual trust between regional countries in the field of security and stability in the region,” she said.
The first US naval ship to be repaired in India was in August 2022, when ‘Charles Drew’ sailed into L&T’s shipyard near Chennai. This was apparently a consequence of the turn of the April two plus two ministerial dialogue last year, when the American interlocutors had sought to explore utilising Indian shipyards for repairs of US navy vessels.
The India-US Joint statement issued on June 22 had stated that Biden and Modi “welcomed India’s emergence as a hub for maintenance and repair for forward-deployed U.S. Navy assets and the conclusion of Master Ship Repair Agreements with Indian shipyards”.
“This will allow the U.S. Navy to expedite the contracting process for mid-voyage and emergent repair. As envisaged in the Defense Industrial Roadmap, both countries agree to work together for the creation of logistic, repair, and maintenance infrastructure for aircrafts and vessels in India,” said the statement.