India, a NATO state? Whose gain, whose loss?

A recent United States congressional report released by a select committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) stated "The United States should strengthen the NATO Plus arrangement to include India". 

US wants India to be a part of NATO plus, a group allied with 'Western' military powers. India's inclusion in NATO Plus is being suggested to counter China and enhance the deterrence for Taiwan. The question is, does joining NATO benefit India or does it actually benefit the West? 

What is NATO Plus? 

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a military alliance of 31 nations, mainly the US and some European countries. NATO Plus includes five more member nations considered allies of the US – namely: Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and Israel. And now the US is inviting India to be a part of this larger group which stands together against adversaries.  

What does India gain from NATO?

The motto of NATO is, "One for all and all for one". This basically means, If you attack one member, you’ll face the combined wrath of them all. This, in an ideal world, would mean greater military backing for India in case it joins NATO Plus. 

India would also probably gain access to military tech advancements, and intelligence sharing between NATO countries 

The true cost of being a NATO member

Breaking India – Russia ties: If India joins the US-led NATO alliance which is backing Ukraine in the current war with Russia, it will directly impact New Delhi's strong, established and deep ties with Moscow. This is exactly what the US is attempting relentlessly to achieve. The US wants to cut off Russia and gain India’s defence deals and benefit from its strategic location in the Indo-Pacific.
 
Jeopardising India’s Strategic Autonomy: NATO membership may also affect India’s strategic autonomy over its nuclear arsenal. A European Parliament report on EU strategic autonomy 2013-2023 mentioned how European nations fear that increasing their strategic autonomy may lead to constraints in free trade.
 
US military base in India?:

Till now, India does not host any foreign military base on its turf – but joining NATO Plus would mean the US will eventually have a military base in India as well. Just look at the other NATO plus members, all of which are hosting US military bases today. (US military bases: JAPAN – 24, SOUTH KOREA – 15, AUSTRALIA – 2, ISRAEL – 1)
 
Being part of NATO would essentially mean that India will get dragged into America’s conflicts. And India will do so, as not anything more than a follower or lackey of the US and this is a concern already expressed by France, a key Nato member state. 

Watch this report: 

"Is it in our interest to accelerate [a crisis] on Taiwan? No. The worse thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the US agenda and a Chinese overreaction," said French President Emmanuel Macron.
 
The US congressional report is recommending joint plans between the US and its allies to enact severe economic sanctions on China for which it also wants India on its side. 

But here comes the irony – that, while the US is preparing its allies for sanctions on China, its own trade with China, has actually surged in the previous year to an all-time high of $690.6Bn. Both Imports and Exports have increased. Imports from China have increased to $536.8bn and exports to China have increased to $153.8bn.
 
So if India joins NATO on America’s recommendation...whose gain will it be?

Let me know in the comments. 

Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer. 

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