On a recent Friday, it was inferred by U.S. President Donald Trump that India might be moving closer towards China. Despite his imposition of strong tariffs and open criticisms that have strained the relationship with New Delhi, Trump suggested India’s alignment may not be in their best interest and hinted at impending restrictions. Alongside these observations was an image depicting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin that week.
In response to these developments, the Chinese embassy in Washington issued a statement to the press. Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu insisted that China’s pursuit of relations with any nation centers on fostering mutual interests and the welfare of their respective populations, rather than designating a third party as an adversary. Liu argued for a global stage that promotes mutual benefit rather than setting up a combative arena where one party’s win implies another’s loss.
Liu continued her statement championing the principle of equality among nations in their interactions. She firmly asserted that countries should avoid being manipulated as game pieces in larger geopolitical conflicts. Despite being asked for their response, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s foreign ministry, refrained from commenting directly on the U.S. President’s remarks.
Rather, Jaiswal emphasized the two countries’ enduring focus on a relationship founded on mutual respect and mutual advantage. Trump later made another comment in the day, where he denied the perception that the U.S was ‘losing’ India to China when queried on whom he blamed for the presumed shift in rapport. The President expressed disappointment with India regarding their continued purchase of Russian oil.
He highlighted the strong 50 per cent tariffs he sanctioned on Indian imports as being ‘very hot’. This post from Trump implied a deep-seated dissatisfaction with how India and Russia were siding with China, hinting at his rising vexation with leaders he had personally tried to win over. The underlying sense of treason appears rooted in his more friendly approach towards Putin, contrary to earlier U.S. regimes, with the ambition of quelling the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
It also stems from his personal connection with Modi, whom he has acknowledged as a friend. Later on the same Friday, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick expressed the view that India would soon apologize to Washington. He advocated for India’s withdrawal from the BRICS alliance of major emerging national economies, consisting also of China, Russia, and Brazil, and expressed support for the US dollar.
Lutnick, a crucial player on Trump’s trade strategy team involved in tariff discussions, predicted in an interview with Bloomberg that India would make efforts to negotiate a deal with Trump in a month or two, expressing regret for past defiance. This followed the U.S.’s imposition of tariffs on Indian goods up to 50 per cent. The aim of this move was twofold, to penalise India for importing Russian oil and to challenge the country’s record-high tariffs.
Indian trade minister Piyush Goyal has termed the U.S.’s actions as ‘unilateral’ and disruptive. Recently, Beijing has shown support for India’s stance, labelling the U.S. as a ‘bully’. In the meantime, Chinese representatives have persistently cooperated with their American counterparts to devise a trade agreement scheduled for completion by November.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit held in Tianjin unveiled a thaw in India-China relations, as leaders Modi and Xi discussed border disengagement and introduced lenient visa rules for Chinese citizens. Photos shared across social media showing Xi, Modi and Putin amiably together were seen by millions globally, showcasing an emerging camaraderie among the trio.
India’s relationship with China sharply contrasts with that it shares with Russia. Despite a heated border conflict in the disputed Himalayan territory in 2020 plummeting the Sino-Indian relationship, India maintains a solid bond and mutual trust with Russia. India has consistently pursued strategic autonomy for numerous years, balanced with engagements in Beijing-led alliances like BRICS and SCO, as well as the U.S.-sponsored Quad consisting of Japan and Australia.
In the recent past, especially during the time of former President Joe Biden, there had been an apparent inclination from Washington to engage India as a crucial ally to counterbalance China in the Indo-Pacific region. Prior to attending the SCO summit, PM Modi iterated the importance of steady and predictable India-China relations in a pre-summit interview. He emphasized these relations as being crucial for the establishment of a multi-polar Asia and globally.
The post Trump’s Dissatisfaction over India’s Alleged Shift towards China appeared first on Real News Now.
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