Washington – Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has warned that relations between Washington and New Delhi are “near a breaking point” amid Donald Trump’s escalating tariff war with India. Writing in a Newsweek op-ed, Haley said that repairing ties with India is critical if the US hopes to counter China’s growing influence.
The Trump administration recently imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods and penalized New Delhi for continuing to purchase Russian oil, worsening trade friction between the two democracies. Haley cautioned that such measures risk undoing decades of progress in the partnership.
“India Is Not an Adversary Like China”
Haley stressed that India must be treated as a trusted democratic partner, not placed in the same category as China, which she pointed out continues to buy Russian oil without facing similar sanctions.
“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 wrote.
India’s Role in US Strategy
According to Haley, New Delhi is essential in helping the US reduce reliance on Chinese supply chains. She noted that India has the capacity to manufacture at scale in sectors such as textiles, affordable phones, and solar panels—products that cannot be quickly reshored to America.
In defense, she said India is already expanding ties with US allies like Israel, making it both a valuable market for American arms and a strategic asset for global security.
Haley also highlighted India’s growing influence in the Middle East and its geographic position along China’s key trade and energy routes, which could complicate Beijing’s options in any major conflict.
Long-Term Significance
Looking ahead, Haley emphasized that India’s rise, as the world’s most populous country with a young workforce, represents the biggest geopolitical shift since China’s rise. Unlike authoritarian China, she argued, the growth of democratic India strengthens rather than threatens the free world.
“Simply put, China’s ambitions will have to shrink as India’s power grows,” she said.
Background
Nikki Haley, the daughter of Indian immigrants, served as the 29th US Ambassador to the United Nations from 2017 to 2018 under Trump’s first administration. She was the first Indian-American to serve in a US presidential cabinet and has remained a vocal critic of Trump, even while endorsing him during his 2024 presidential campaign.
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