On Thursday, the United States and India strengthened bilateral relations with leaders from the two countries, agreeing to open a secure military communications hotline. That is a clear signal of stronger ties and paves the way for the U.S. to sell advanced military technology to our ally. For India-U.S. relations, this is a clear win, but when it comes to the big picture of geopolitics in the Asia-Pacific, the new deal is a bet on the future that won’t pay off for some time.

China is and has been rising rapidly in Asia and beyond. India, despite deep disputes with Beijing, is unlikely to do anything to provoke China or significantly stand in its way, for now, when it comes to regional development.