'India's stress on strategic autonomy hampers ties with US'

India's preference to retain strategic autonomy stymies its growing relationship with the US and New Delhi is unlikely to emerge as a key provider of security in the Indo-Pacific region, a former Chinese diplomat who served in Kolkata has said.
The concerns of the Indian side about jeopardising strategic autonomy, along with personnel and budgetary limitations, have led to a further stymieing of deeper military contact with the US, Mao Siwei, a retired diplomat who served as former consul general of China in Kolkata said.
India is not likely to emerge as a key provider of security within the Indo-Pacific region any time in the near to mid-term future, Mao was quoted by the Global Times as saying.

Mao made the comments at a recent conference on India-China relations that was co-sponsored by the Hebei-based Charhar Institute, Beijing Foreign Studies University and Johns Hopkins University.
The Indian government has stated more than once in their communication with China that India will not participate in any attempt to contain China. The reasons for this strategic decision are not difficult to understand.
Empathy with other side is needed, Mao said.
Nevertheless there is no doubt that the US plays a very important role in Sino-Indian ties, he said, citing India-US Nuclear accord.
Tang Lu, a senior editor with the state-run Xinhua news agency and council member of Chinese Association for South Asian Studies said many western media outlets would like to strengthen the impression that China and India are rivals and that they will fight in the future due to mistrust and competition.