Former US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has warned that America risks pushing India away at a time when Washington needs New Delhi the most. She warned that worsening ties between the two democracies would only benefit China, which is already working to expand its global influence.
Nikki Haley, a senior Republican leader and former Trump critic, made her remarks in a strongly worded op-ed in Newsweek. She said, “India must be treated like the prized free and democratic partner that it is—not an adversary like China, which has thus far avoided sanctions for its Russian oil purchases, despite being one of Moscow’s largest customers.”
Tariffs Push Ties to Breaking Point
The warning comes after the Trump administration imposed 25 per cent tariffs on India’s Russian oil purchases, on top of existing duties on Indian goods. This escalation has strained relations between the two countries, which had spent years building closer strategic and trade ties.
Haley said these moves are dangerous and could undo decades of cooperation. “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,” she said.
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She also pointed out that issues like tariffs and the US role in the India-Pakistan truce must not be allowed to drive a wedge between Washington and New Delhi.
India’s Role Against China
Nikki Haley stressed that India is central to America’s goal of outcompeting China. Only India, she contended, possesses the size and resources necessary to displace China in vital supply chains.
She wrote, “While the Trump administration works to bring manufacturing back to our shores, India stands alone in its potential to manufacture at a China-like scale for products that can’t be quickly or efficiently produced here, like textiles, inexpensive phones, and solar panels.”
She also highlighted India’s military partnerships, especially with Israel and US allies, as vital to strengthening security in Asia and beyond.
Strategic Value in Middle East
Haley said India’s influence in the Middle East could also help the US reduce its military footprint in the region. She argued that New Delhi’s presence there adds to global security and limits Beijing’s room to maneuver in case of any future conflict.
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She pointed out that India’s location at the centre of China’s energy and trade routes makes it a strategic asset.
India’s Rise a Challenge to Beijing
In the long term, Nikki Haley noted that India’s population advantage, young workforce, and fast economic growth pose the biggest challenge to China’s global ambitions.
She wrote, “Simply put, China’s ambitions will have to shrink as India’s power grows. Yet, unlike Communist-controlled China, the rise of a democratic India does not threaten the free world.”
Haley concluded by warning that the US must not treat India and China in the same way. For Washington to achieve peace and contain Beijing, it must keep New Delhi close.
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