Episode Notes:

Last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper travelled to New Delhi to meet with their Indian counterparts for the U.S.-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. Mutual concerns about Chinese foreign policy — especially its assertive and deadly conduct on the disputed border with India —  served as the backdrop for the meeting. The ministerial produced a comprehensive joint statement, and the signing of the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement, a long sought after accord which facilitates intelligence sharing.

Tanvi Madan joins the Warcast to identify key takeaway from the 2+2, explain the significance of the timeing of the meeting (coming just a week before the U.S. presidential election), and what Indian policymakers should be looking for this election in terms of American policy towards China. Tanvi is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and is the recent author of Fateful Triangle: How China Shaped US-India Relations during the Cold War.

[ 01:25 ] Key takeaways

[ 04:51 ] Timing of the trip right before the U.S. election

[ 07:48 ] Impact of U.S. election on India and China policy