Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit, the US House Select Committee on Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has recommended that India should be made a part of NATO Plus.
NATO Plus, now known as NATO Plus 5, is a security agreement that brings together NATO and five associated states – Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, and South Korea – to strengthen global defence cooperation.
Bringing India on board would allow for smooth intelligence exchange between these countries, as well as quick access to cutting-edge military technologies.
The House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), chaired by Mike Gallagher and ranking member Raja Krishnamoorthi, unanimously adopted a policy proposal aimed at bolstering Taiwan’s deterrence and expanding NATO Plus to include India.
The committee holds that imposing economic sanctions on China in the event that it plans to attack Taiwan is the most effective way for key allies such as the G7, NATO, NATO+5, and Quad members to participate and negotiate a joint response and that broadcasting this message publicly has the added benefit of bolstering deterrence.
“Much as we do joint contingency planning for warfighting, we need to coordinate with US allies in peacetime.” To achieve this, the Committee recommended that Congress approve legislation akin to the STAND with Taiwan Act of 2023, which requires the crafting of an economic sanctions package to be used in the event of a PRC attack on Taiwan.
The committee also recommended that the United States support Taiwan’s participation in international organisations and amend the TAIPEI Act.
“Winning the strategic competition with the Chinese Communist Party and ensuring the security of Taiwan demands the United States strengthen ties to our allies and security partners, including India. Including India in NATO Plus security arrangements would build upon the US and India’s close partnership to strengthen global security and deter the aggression of the CCP across the Indo-Pacific region,” the Select Committee recommended.
Indian-American Ramesh Kapoor, who has been working on this proposal for the past six years, said this is a crucial development. He hoped that the recommendation will be included in the National Defence Authorisation Act, of 2024, and eventually become law.
About the Select Committee
The Select Committee on the CCP, according to its official website, is “committed to working on a bipartisan basis to build consensus on the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party and develop a plan of action to defend the American people, our economy, and our values.”
