It “looks like we’ve lost India and Russia to deepest, darkest China,” US President Donald Trump said in a scathing social media post after the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) conference in Tianjin, China.
He mockingly greeted the three countries a “long and prosperous future together” in a message that was posted on Truth Social and included a picture of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Despite the backdrop of long-standing border tensions, including the deadly 2020 Galwan skirmish, Modi met Xi Jinping on Chinese soil for the first time in seven years and had talks with Putin during the historic SCO meeting, indicating a warming in bilateral relations. In public, the three presidents talked about working together on issues like energy, security, and international trade—all of which are, in one way or another, at odds with Washington.
Washington is concerned about changing global alignments as a result of Trump’s remarks, which are his most vocal public recognition to date of the growing strategic relations between China, Russia, and India.
Through platforms like the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) and high-profile occasions like the 2019 “Howdy Modi” rally, the US has been courting India as a strategic partner for decades, seeing it as a potential counterbalance to China’s expanding influence in Asia.
Washington-New Delhi relations have, however, chilled as a result of recent events. Trump has levied high tariffs of 50% on Indian commodities, of which 25% are reciprocal duties and the remaining 25% are mostly directed against India’s imports of cheap Russian crude oil.
These duties, which are among the highest the US has ever imposed, have impacted a variety of Indian products, such as chemicals, jewelry, clothing, and footwear. Diplomatic and commercial relations have been strained as a result, with India denouncing the levies as unjust and detrimental to its exports and economic progress.
India’s goal to preserve strategic independence by striking a balance in its relations with all of the major countries is reflected in its participation in the SCO. Even if New Delhi still values its cooperation with the US and Europe, its involvement in multilateral organizations like the SCO and its expanding connections with Beijing and Moscow show that it is taking a practical approach to its national interests in a multipolar world.
Reactions to Trump and his trade adviser Peter Navarro’s public rhetorical outburst, in which they called on Modi to side with the West instead of Moscow, have been conflicting. India’s Ministry of External Affairs reiterated the country’s commitment to an autonomous foreign policy while dismissing Navarro’s accusation as untrue.
In conclusion, Trump’s direct comments and tariff policies have brought attention to growing rifts in US-Indian relations at a time when Modi is openly strengthening his ties with China and Russia through the SCO. This underscores changing geopolitical conditions and India’s quest for strategic independence in the face of great power competition.
