US Senator Marco Rubio introduced a bill in American Congress today that aims to strengthen the US-India partnership and counter the growing influence of China in the Indo-Pacific region. This is for the first time such an India-centric bill has been introduced in the US Congress.

 

The bill proposes to treat India on par with its allies like as Japan, Israel, Korea and NATO. Among other things, the bill would set a Statement of Policy that the US will support India in its response to growing threats to its territorial integrity, provide necessary security assistance to India, and cooperate with India with respect to defence, civil space, technology, medicine and economic investments.