Newsman: South Asia is in flurry of high-level diplomacy. The U.S. Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland is currently on a trip to Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka. The countries that Nuland is visiting all abstained from an earlier United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s invasion. Nuland’s visit reflects the Biden administration’s desire for more regional engagement beyond India and Pakistan. The Quad partners likely want to reassure New Delhi that the commitment to the Indo-Pacific remains strong. Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi completed a trip to Pakistan for an Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit this week and visited India on Friday—the most senior-level Chinese visit since the border clash in 2020. He also is traveling to Nepal this weekend. Yet Wang’s visit shows that Beijing is also keen to reassert its influence in South Asia.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the Japanese prime minister in person and with the Australian prime minister virtually—both members of the Quad grouping. A few factors explain this diplomatic activity
In an interview with an Indian TV channel, the U.S. Undersecretary of State said the issue of ‘abstained from an earlier United Nations General Assembly resolution condemning Russia’s invasion’ was discussed at length during her meetings in New Delhi.
