At a time when India and the United States are finalising trade deal terms, the United States of America has made it clear that the trade deal won’t be skewed towards New Delhi even a bit. Addressing the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau stated that the United States will not repeat the same mistake with India that it made with China.
Landau said that the US is very excited about the trade deal with India that is ‘almost at the finish line’ and added that the deal could unlocking almost limitless potential between the two nations. However, he gave a stern rider to Indian leadership with his subtle, veiled remark.
“India should understand that we will not make the same mistakes with India that we did with China 20 years ago. We are going to let you be able to develop all these markets and the next thing you know, you are beating us at many commercial things,” Landau said.
Notably, the event where he was speaking was organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). The MEA is yet to react to the remarks.
Although Landau did not state it directly, his remarks suggested that China’s economic rise was influenced in part by policies adopted by earlier US administrations. The implication was that the United States would be cautious about fostering conditions that might allow another economy to grow to a scale comparable to China’s and become a similar strategic competitor in the future.
“We are going to make sure that whatever we do is fair to our people because ultimately, we have to be accountable to our own people just as the government of India has to be accountable to its people,” he said.
Landau nevertheless emphasized the strong potential for India and the United States to build a mutually beneficial partnership in the fields of technology and artificial intelligence. At the same time, he encouraged New Delhi to expand its imports of energy from the US.
According to Landau, strengthening ties between the two countries serves the interests of both sides. He noted that India possesses vast economic strength and a large pool of human talent that will play a key role in shaping the century ahead. He also suggested that India would benefit from deepening its relationship with the United States on the basis of reciprocity and mutual respect. In his view, the coming years could lay the groundwork for much closer cooperation between the two nations, moving beyond the Cold War era when India maintained a certain distance from Washington.
Landau also highlighted shared priorities between the two countries, particularly in combating terrorism and safeguarding freedom of navigation on international waters. He pointed out that recent developments in defence collaboration reflect progress that would have been difficult to imagine just a few years ago.
He further described the scope for energy collaboration between India and the United States as virtually unlimited. Landau also referred to the appointment of Sergio Gor as the American envoy to India, noting that Gor’s close relationship with Donald Trump played a role in the decision.
