A deadly bout of hand-to-hand fighting between Chinese and Indian forces at a disputed border could help U.S. officials convince India to provide a military counterweight to Beijing’s aggression.

“This will strengthen the impetus to increase activities and partnerships with the U.S., Australia, Japan, and other like-minded powers,” said the Heritage Foundation’s Jeff Smith, an expert in South Asian policy. “The more the Chinese undermine their position in India and convince the Indians that they are indeed a long-term rival, the stronger the magnetic pull of the U.S. and others.”