US has deepened partnership with India: Antony Blinken

Washington: US State Secretary Antony Blinken has said the US has deepened its partnership with India. He said the country has elevated cooperation with India, Japan and Australia through the Quad.

"We've deepened our partnership with India. We've elevated cooperation through the Quad with India, Japan, and Australia," the US State Secretary said in his remarks at an end-of-year press availability on Wednesday (US local time).

 The Quad is a diplomatic network between Australia, India, Japan and the US.

According to a press release issued by the US State Department, Blinken said the US' partnerships in the Indo-Pacific have never been stronger.

He said the US is "working with the United Kingdom and Australia to produce nuclear-powered submarines. We launched new comprehensive strategic partnerships with Vietnam and Indonesia, a new Defense Cooperation Agreement with the Philippines, new trilateral initiatives with the Philippines and Japan, new embassies in the Solomon Islands and Tonga."

The US State Secretary further said that the US is more closely aligned than ever with the G7, with the EU, and with other allies and partners on the challenges presented by Beijing.

"We're working together to address them. We're deepening cooperation and coordination between NATO and our Indo-Pacific allies. These efforts have allowed us to engage more effectively when tackling areas of concern, like China's coercive trade and economic practises, peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China Seas, and human rights," he said.