Amid heightened tensions on the India-China border, the top United States diplomat for South and Central Asia, Alice Wells, on May 20 hit out at China, saying that the tensions reminded the world of the “threat” posed by Beijing. The U.S. in the past has not always been forthcoming about expressing support on the boundary issue but it may now want to ensure it is in a position to facilitate stronger security ties with countries in the region concerned about China’s rise. At the same time, Washington has developed an understanding of India’s complex relationship with China. We discuss this complicated dynamic in this episode. Guest: Jeff Smith, Research Fellow at The Heritage Foundation in Washington and author of Cold Peace: China-India Rivalry in the Twenty-First Century. Find the In Focus podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Search for In Focus by The Hindu. Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in