US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said India's recent border clash with China was the latest example of the China’s unacceptable behavior.
“The recent clashes initiated by the PLA (People’s Liberation Army) are just the latest examples of the CCP’s (Chinese Communist Party) unacceptable behaviour,” Pompeo said.
Pompeo made the comment at virtual US-India Business Council’s India Ideas Summit on Wednesday as Washington’s ties with Beijing deteriorate dramatically, reports Reuters.
"I am confident that with our concerted efforts, we can protect our interest," the US Secretary of State added.
He also urged India to focus on domestic supply chains and reduce its dependence on China for telecommunications and medical supplies,
“India is in this position because it has earned the trust of many nations around the world, including the United States,” Pompeo said.
The US administration has squarely blamed China for the coronavirus pandemic and accused Chinese firms like Huawei Technologies Co Ltd of cyberspying and facilitating human rights violations in China, charges Huawei and Beijing deny.
The United States has also lambasted China’s new national security law for the former British colony of Hong Kong.
The US has told China to close its consulate in Houston in a dramatic deterioration in ties between the world’s two biggest economies amid accusations of Chinese espionage.
India's relations with China have been strained after last month's deadly clash in the Himalayas in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed. Pompeo accused the Chinese of initiating the conflict, also denied by Beijing.
India, which recently banned dozens of Chinese apps in the country, including the popular TikTok video app, has not yet taken a call on Huawei after allowing the Chinese telecoms company to participate in trials for 5G networks.
India is the world’s main generic drug supplier and its dependence on Chinese raw materials for its medicines is almost 70 per cent.
Separately, India’s ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, said New Delhi was open to US firms building manufacturing plants in the country.
India’s military confrontation with China prompted calls for closer security ties with the United States and its allies, including Japan.
India is modernising its military to narrow a gap with China and has increasingly turned towards the United States over its traditional supplier, Russia.
“The United States has never been more supportive of India’s security. India too, is an important partner and a key pillar of President (Donald) Trump’s foreign policy,” Pompeo said.