Washington [US], August 22 : Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley on Friday emphasised the importance of rebuilding the US-India relationship to counter China, saying, "Unlike Communist China, the rise of a democratic India does not threaten the free world."
"Partnership between the US and India to counter China should be a no-brainer. It would serve America's interests to help India stand up to China," she said.
In an opinion piece co-authored with Bill Drexel of the Hudson Institute, Haley recalled, "In July 1982, President Ronald Reagan welcomed Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to a state dinner at the White House. Toasting the friendship between our 'two proud, free peoples,' he said: 'although our countries may travel separate paths from time to time, our destination remains the same.'"
Haley highlighted that the US-India relationship is currently at a "troubling inflection point" and stressed that "few objectives are more critical than getting US-India relations back on track" to achieve the Trump administration's foreign policy goals, including outcompeting China and achieving peace through strength.
She said, "Trump is right to target India's massive Russian oil purchases, which are helping to fund Vladimir Putin's brutal war against Ukraine. India has also traditionally been among the most protectionist economies in the world, with an average tariff rate more than five times the US average in 2023. But India must be treated like the prized free and democratic partner that it isnot an adversary like China..."
Haley underlined India's strategic role, stating, "In the short term, India is essential in helping the United States move its critical supply chains away from China... India stands alone in its potential to manufacture at China-like scale for products that can't be quickly or efficiently produced here, like textiles, inexpensive phones, and solar panels."
She further said, "When it comes to defence, India's expanding military ties with the United States, Israel, and other American allies make it a crucial asset to the free world's security, and a rapidly growing market for US defence equipment and cooperation... And India's location at the center of China's vital trade and energy flows could complicate Beijing's options in the case of a major conflict."
Haley noted India's long-term significance, adding, "Home to more than a sixth of humanity, India surpassed China as the world's most populous country in 2023, with a young workforce that contrasts with China's ageing one. It is the world's fastest-growing major economysoon to eclipse Japan as the world's fourth largest... Simply put, China's ambitions will have to shrink as India's power grows."
She stressed, "India and China are unfriendly neighbors that have conflicting economic interests and ongoing territorial disputes, including a lethal skirmish over contested borders as recently as 2020. It would serve America's interests to help India stand up to its increasingly aggressive northern neighbour, both economically and militarily... The sooner the better."
Haley called for direct engagement, saying, "The most urgent priority should be to reverse the downward spiral, which will require direct talks between President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi... The United States should not lose sight of what matters most: our shared goals. To face China, the United States must have a friend in India."
She and Drexel emphasised that "decades of friendship and good will between the world's two largest democracies provide a solid basis to move past the current turbulence... Navigating challenging issues like trade disagreements and Russian oil imports demand hard dialogue, but difficult conversations are often the sign of a deepening partnership."
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