India-China Border Tensions and U.S. Strategy in the Indo-Pacific

Washington, March 30, 2023—Today, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) released a new report, "India-China Border Tensions and U.S. Strategy in the Indo-Pacific," from authors Lisa Curtis and Derek Grossman.

The report analyzes the intensification of tensions between India and China amid recent border intrusions and defines how the U.S. should position itself in light of these developments.

"The increased prospect of India-China border hostility has implications for the United States and its Indo-Pacific strategy," write the authors. "Washington has a strategic interest in what happens between India and China—two nuclear-armed nations whose populations together will soon total 3 billion. As the United States considers the role that India will play in the Indo-Pacific and how to maximize U.S.-India cooperation to meet security challenges in the region, U.S. policymakers must closely monitor and be prepared to respond quickly to future India-China border crises."

The authors argue that given the dangerous implications of another India-China border crisis, the U.S. must start implementing policies now to deter and respond to further Chinese aggression along the border with India.

The report concludes with several specific, actionable policy recommendations for U.S. policymakers. Read the full report for these recommendations and more.

For more information or to schedule an interview with the report authors, please contact Cameron Edinburgh at cedinburgh@cnas.org