“Nikki Haley warns Donald Trump to restore strong US-India ties, stressing the partnership is vital to counter China’s growing influence.”
Washington:
Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has issued a stark warning to the Trump administration, urging Washington to urgently repair strained ties with India if the United States hopes to counter China’s growing global ambitions.
Her comments come amid rising friction between Washington and New Delhi, following punitive tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. India has faced a 25% tariff on its purchase of Russian oil, on top of duties already levied on Indian goods, sparking fears of a rupture in one of the world’s most important strategic partnerships.
In a Newsweek op-ed published Wednesday, Haley stressed that New Delhi must not be treated as an adversary like Beijing. “To achieve the Trump administration’s foreign policy goals—outcompeting China and achieving peace through strength—few objectives are more critical than getting US-India relations back on track,” she wrote.
Haley underscored India’s unique position as both a rising economic powerhouse and a democratic counterweight to China’s authoritarian model. With its massive workforce, rapid economic growth, and status as the world’s most populous country, India, she argued, represents “the most significant geopolitical event since China’s rise—and one of the greatest obstacles to Beijing’s dream of reshaping the global order.”
She further noted India’s vital role in reshaping global supply chains away from China, especially in sectors such as textiles, electronics, and solar panels. India’s expanding defense cooperation with US allies, including Israel, also makes it an indispensable partner for both American security and the broader free world.
Haley highlighted New Delhi’s growing influence in the Middle East, pointing out that India’s involvement could stabilize the region at a time when Washington seeks to reduce its military and financial commitments. India’s strategic location, she added, sits at the heart of China’s trade and energy corridors, complicating Beijing’s options in the event of a major conflict.
Warning of a “strategic disaster,” Haley argued that undermining 25 years of momentum in US-India relations would be self-defeating. “Scuttling ties with the only country that can counterbalance Chinese dominance in Asia would be a grave mistake,” she cautioned.
Haley, who served as the 29th US Ambassador to the UN during Trump’s first term and was the first Indian American to hold a cabinet-level position, has maintained a complicated relationship with the former president. While she has endorsed Trump’s 2024 campaign, she continues to openly challenge aspects of his foreign policy.
“Simply put,” Haley concluded, “China’s ambitions will have to shrink as India’s power grows. And unlike Communist-controlled China, the rise of a democratic India does not threaten the free world.”