It is a pleasure to extol the scholarship in this excellent and timely collection on the future of the India–US relationship, in the public eye, following the visit on February 25, 2020, to India of President Donald Trump. In a diffcult situation, the successful three-city visit added another layer to the ongoing process of building a mutually beneficial and wide-ranging bilateral relationship.
The onset, and unrelenting spread, of the corona virus, or Wuhan virus as some call it, has brought international relations to a virtual standstill making a virtue of insularity that could have an important infuence on the US bilateral relations with other countries. The will and ability of a country to combat pan- demics and other global issues will determine the tenor of bilateral relations.
It is equally certain that US–China relations will suffer post-COVID and would take time to reach its present level. The raging pandemic has become a structured factor that could slow China’s unbridled rise and defeat its tra- jectory to create a new order in South and Southeast Asia.
India too will be challenged in dealing with the US–China–India triangular relationship. China’s proximity and long border cannot be wished away. Nevertheless, hopefully it will fnally lead to a scrutiny of Chinese goods and services in India imports.
In this context, the present collection highlights long-term features that could spur greater convergence in India–US relations even though their mutual tendencies to put national interest frst provoke increasing diver- gence. It is also likely that United States’ long and convoluted relationship with Pakistan will continue until its full withdrawal from Afghanistan.
India, to safeguard its strategic autonomy, will remain steadfast in rejecting any collective security mechanisms or military alliances while continuing to build its relationship with Russia and prize access to Iran’s energy supplies.
In the US Congress, India–US relations are a bi-partisan issue although the greatest progress has been made during Republic administrations. As two open democracies, India and United States have the best opportunity in the future to grow and prosper to mutual advantage.