'We need India to counter China': Ex-US official Mary Kissel says US 'can't fight alone'

Former US adviser Mary Kissel has highlighted India's pivotal role in America's geopolitical strategy, stressing that the United States cannot confront China's expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific region without New Delhi's support.

In an interview with Fox News, Kissel emphasised the significance of the partnership, stating that "Washington does need New Delhi's support to counter Beijing's growing influence in the region."

"If we are really serious about considering Communist China the greatest threat to the United States and our way of life, we need India," she further added.
Despite these trade frictions, Kissel cautioned against isolating India at a time of increasing Chinese assertiveness. "We need the heft of not just Australia, not just our friends in Japan, but also India," said Kissel, who previously served as a senior adviser to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Her comments followed the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Heads of State Council summit in Tianjin, China, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi met separately with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"I think this meeting is highlighting a major challenge for the Trump administration," Kissel observed, referring to India’s strategic balancing act between Washington, Moscow, and Beijing.