Nikki Haley Urges Trump-Modi Summit to Save US-India Ties
Haley warns trade spat risks China exploiting weakened alliance.
Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has urged President Donald Trump to hold urgent talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to mend strained US-India relations, warning that further deterioration could hand China a strategic advantage. Writing in a Newsweek op-ed, Haley described the partnership between the world’s two largest democracies as a “no-brainer” to counter China’s growing global influence, emphasizing that allowing a trade dispute to fracture this alliance would be a “massive and preventable mistake.”
Haley highlighted the critical role India plays in countering China’s aggression, both economically and militarily, particularly in light of ongoing border tensions, such as the 2020 Galwan Valley clash. She stressed India’s unique capacity to manufacture goods like textiles, low-cost phones, and solar panels at a scale comparable to China, making it vital for shifting US supply chains away from Beijing. “India stands alone in its potential to manufacture at China-like scale,” Haley wrote, noting its rapid economic rise as the world’s fastest-growing major economy, poised to surpass Japan.
The urgency stems from recent US tariffs, including a 25% duty on Indian goods and an additional 25% levy targeting India’s Russian oil purchases, which Trump claims fuel Russia’s war in Ukraine. Haley acknowledged the need for India to address these concerns but criticized the Trump administration’s approach, particularly its 90-day tariff pause for China, a larger buyer of Russian oil. “Don’t give China a pass and burn a relationship with a strong ally like India,” she posted on X, calling for consistent policies.
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India’s Ministry of External Affairs has pushed back, arguing that its Russian oil imports were driven by necessity after Western supplies were diverted to Europe post-Ukraine conflict. Haley urged both nations to engage in “hard dialogue” to resolve trade disagreements and Russian oil issues, emphasizing that such conversations signal a deepening partnership. She advocated for the US to allocate resources to India on par with those devoted to China or Israel, underscoring India’s strategic location along China’s trade routes and its growing defense ties with the US and allies like Israel.
“Scuttling 25 years of momentum with the only country that can serve as a counterweight to Chinese dominance in Asia would be a strategic disaster,” Haley warned, noting India’s rising clout in stabilizing the Middle East. She called for immediate Trump-Modi talks to reverse the “downward spiral” in relations, stressing that “to face China, the United States must have a friend in India.” As a former contender in the 2024 Republican primaries, Haley’s critique carries weight, reflecting her consistent advocacy for stronger US-India ties to counter Beijing’s ambitions.
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