Washington, Feb 13 (.)In a forceful articulation of US strategy in Asia, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs S. Paul Kapoor declared that a strong, independent India is indispensable to preventing Chinese dominance in the Indo-Pacific.
The congressional hearing underscored broad agreement on the strategic importance of South and Central Asia, even as lawmakers remained deeply divided over how best to advance US interests in a region increasingly shaped by China’s rise and political upheaval.
Kapoor made clear that Washington views India as a pivotal strategic partner and that U.S. policy is not about containment for its own sake, but about preserving balance and sovereignty across the region.
Sharp partisan divisions over trade, diplomacy and Afghanistan policy dominated the hearing as lawmakers debated how Washington should counter China’s influence and respond to rapidly shifting political transitions across South and Central Asia.
Opening the session, Chairman Rep. Bill Huizenga said, “The subcommittee on South and Central Asia will come to order, and the purpose of this hearing is to examine America’s foreign policy across South Central Asia.” He described the region as “one of the most important regions in the world,” adding that U.S. strategy there is “key to the United States national security and economic strength and our global presence.”
Huizenga noted that South and Central Asia is home to “nearly two billion people, dynamic economies and strategic waterways that shape the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific,” and warned that “how we engage will define America’s role in Asia for decades to come.”
He cautioned that China, “through its Belt and Road initiative, engages in predatory lending to further its security interests and force smaller nations into debt traps,” and has “hardened its border with India, Nepal, and Bhutan, building infrastructure to support its military aspirations.”
Calling the Indian Ocean “one of the busiest maritime corridors on the earth, carrying the lifeblood of global commerce and energy, including more than 80 percent of global seaborne oil trade,” Huizenga said maintaining a “free and open Indian Ocean is a priority for our national and our economic security.” He underscored the importance of the U.S. naval facility on Diego Garcia, saying that “preserving America’s military fortitude in the region will deter Chinese coercion, prevent piracy, and ensure the free flow of American and world trade.”
Kapoor testified, “An India that can be independent and stand up for itself and preserve its freedom of action works to our strategic advantage and promotes our strategic interests.” He stressed that the United States is not seeking confrontation, but rather aiming to ensure that no single power can dominate Asia. “What we’re trying to do fundamentally is not to keep China out of the region but to prevent China or any single hegemon from taking over or imposing coercive leverage on the region.”
He underscored that India’s size, geography and growing capabilities make it uniquely positioned to shape the balance of power. “An India that is able to be independent, stand up for itself, and preserve its freedom of action takes a huge swath of the Indo-Pacific off of China’s plate and almost by definition prevents it from becoming the dominant power in the region.”
Emphasising economic resilience, technological advancement and military strength as pillars of India’s independence, Kapoor added, “An independent, strong, prosperous India takes a big swath of the Indo-Pacific away from China and that is actually a strategic win for us.”
The remarks reinforced Washington’s broader strategic calculation: empowering India is not merely bilateral cooperation — it is central to maintaining balance, preventing coercion and shaping the future order of the Indo-Pacific.
However, Ranking Member Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove sharply criticised the administration’s approach under what she referred to as “Trump 2.0.”
She said, “Trump has sabotaged U.S. regional interests and decimated our diplomatic toolbox, putting us on the back foot as major changes swept across South and Central Asia. In April, Trump announced tariffs on partners across South and Central Asia, an unexpected economic shock on countries already facing debt vulnerability to the PRC. 50% tariffs on India-one of the highest rates in the world-tore a needless rupture in bilateral ties that sacrificed decades of painstaking trust-building between our two countries. Dragging on negotiations for over a year cost us the timely convening of the annual Quad leaders’ summit and weakened our posture in the Indo-Pacific.”
Responding to concerns over trade tensions, Kapoor said India and the United States continue to maintain consistent, robust cooperation.
“India, with its size, location, and commitment to a free and open region, anchors South Asia and, more broadly, the western half of the Indo-Pacific,” he said. “The United States and India maintain high-level diplomatic touchpoints such as the 2 2 Ministerial and cooperate closely in the defense, technology and energy sectors, bilaterally and also through the Quad. Cooperation in these areas has remained robust, even as we resolved long-standing issues in our trade relationship, as evidenced by the renewed 10-year US-India defense framework agreement, the TRUST initiative, and Indian purchases of U.S. products ranging from drones to liquefied natural gas.”
“Following the trade framework President Trump reached last week with Prime Minister Modi, we can now focus on other shared priorities: lowering barriers to trade with one of the largest economies in the world and opening the way to even more fulsome cooperation. This will enhance our mutual prosperity and help India to defend its sovereignty both on land and in its maritime near abroad,” Kapoor added.
“President Trump’s national security strategy makes clear that we must put America first and do so through active engagement with vital parts of the world,” Kapoor said. “America first does not mean America alone.”
He described South Asia as “vitally important,” warning that “a hostile power dominating South Asia could exert coercive leverage over the world economy.” The United States, he said, must “prevent this from happening and keep the region free and open.”
Kapoor also highlighted a recent trade framework with India and a trade deal with Bangladesh, saying the administration is deploying “defense cooperation, targeted investment, and diplomacy” to build “strategic capacity” among regional partners.
On Afghanistan, Kapoor said a comprehensive interagency review is underway. “I don’t know exactly what the schedule looks like or the timeline looks like, but I can commit to remaining in touch with you and with the committee,” he said, adding that he would provide further briefings before a final report is completed.. .