US biggest military threat to India after China, new survey reveals
Sonnet Frisbie and Scott Moskowitz, who oversaw the survey released on Tuesday, said: "While the world's two largest democracies would seem to make for natural partners, especially given their mutual mistrust of China, Indians have strategic reasons to be wary of the world's Western superpower."
FollowMost Indians perceived the United States as the biggest military threat after China and have blamed Washington and NATO more than Moscow for the ongoing war in Ukraine, a new survey has revealed.Â
The survey, conducted in October last year by a US-based global business intelligence company Morning Consult, revealed that 43 per cent of Indians viewed China as the greatest threat. It must be noted that India and China have a lingering border standoff and have witnessed a flaring up of tensions on several occasions.Â
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Another 22 per cent perceived the United States as the second-biggest military threat.Â
Sonnet Frisbie and Scott Moskowitz, who oversaw the survey released on Tuesday, said: "While the world's two largest democracies would seem to make for natural partners, especially given their mutual mistrust of China, Indians have strategic reasons to be wary of the world's Western superpower."
"As tensions between Washington and Beijing increase, the Indian public may be worried about getting caught in the middle of a US-China conflict that destabilizes regional security, putting India at risk," they said.
The survey also found that New Delhi's simultaneous memberships in both the US-backed Quad and China- and Russia-backed Shanghai Cooperation Organization are together a good example of its pragmatic approach to dealing with the duelling powers.
Russia-Ukraine war
To date, India has remained neutral in the war between Russia and Ukraine despite pressure from its Quad partners and also it has continued to snap up cheap Russian oil.
The poll found that 60 per cent of the respondents want the government to continue purchasing oil from Russia, and 48 per cent of them said Russia should remain India's preferred military equipment provider, compared to 44 per cent for the US.Â
Another 49 per cent also want Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government to continue military exercises with the country.
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