US Plans Big India-Focused Meet As Washington Seeks To Counter China

The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) is set to convene its first public hearing of 2026 in February, with a special focus on India. The bipartisan congressional body said the special focus of the meeting will be Washington's relations with New Delhi and Beijing and the power balance in the Indo-Pacific. 

The hearing will examine geopolitical and military issues pertaining to India's relations with both China and the United States, including tensions over border disputes, maritime access in the Indian Ocean, and India's role as an Indo-Pacific power, the Congressional committee said about the meeting scheduled on February 17.

It will also explore the economic and technology dimensions of India-China relations, including trade and investment relations and India's efforts to build self-reliance in critical and emerging technology sectors like artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and pharmaceutical supply chains. 

Beyond the India-China dynamics, the hearing will also review US policy efforts to enhance the strategic partnership with India and the implications of New Delhi's relations with Beijing on American economic and security interests going forward.

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Timing Of The Hearing

The hearing comes at a time when New Delhi is considering the "graded" opening up of the Indian economy to China, with any easing contingent on calibrated give-and-take by Beijing. Ties between the two South Asian neighbours, which remained under strain for four years after the 2020 Galwan Valley border clash, began to improve after a series of high-level bilateral visits.

The road to restoration of the bond was relaid in October 2024, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Russia, during the BRICS Summit. Following this, PM Modi travelled to China for the first time in more than seven years.

Since then, Beijing and New Delhi have continued to engage in dialogue and exchanges to resolve the differences, leading to the reopening of air links suspended for five years and New Delhi taking steps to allow Chinese companies back into Indian investment and government procurement channels.

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Trump's China Visit

The hearing will also take place just weeks before US President Donald Trump is planning to make a state visit to China in April 2026, highlighting the delicate diplomatic balancing act between Beijing and Washington. Trump has said ties between the world's ‍two largest economies, which became strained during the COVID pandemic, have seen significant improvement recently, with Beijing buying large quantities ​of American soybeans.

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What Is This US-China Economic and Security Review Commission?

The United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC) is a bipartisan legislative branch commission created by Congress in October 2000 to monitor, investigate, and report on the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship between the US and China.

In the past decade, Washington has made significant investments in India as a means to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific. India's strategic location and military capabilities make it central to US efforts to limit China's influence across Asia.