Visit to China: Modi's photos with Xi and Putin will be a clear signal to the US - The Guardian
Kyiv • UNN
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting China for the first time in seven years, meeting with Xi Jinping and Putin. This visit is a signal to the US amid deteriorating relations over tariffs.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin during his first trip to China in seven years, amid deteriorating relations between New Delhi and Washington over tariffs. Therefore, for Modi, photos with Xi and Putin will be a clear signal to the United States.
This was reported by UNN with reference to The Guardian.
Details
The Guardian notes that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's four-day trip, which includes a visit to Japan, comes amid India's efforts to diversify trade and strengthen ties with Beijing.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make his first visit to China in seven years this weekend. The visit will take place in the company of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin just as India's relations with Washington have deteriorated.
Modi's visit to Tianjin for a regional security summit came days after the US doubled tariffs on Indian exports to 50%, citing New Delhi's refusal to stop buying Russian oil.
This conflict has overturned years of deepening cooperation between India and the US, which was based on technology and a shared determination to counter Beijing's global ambitions. It has also forced India to aggressively seek other sources to diversify its trade.
India's trust in the US has been undermined. I'm not sure if American officials fully realize how much trust they've squandered in such a short time.
For China, the two-day Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit, which begins on Sunday, proved to be very timely.
Modi will be in China at a time when relations between India and China are stabilizing, and relations between India and the US have deteriorated. This is a powerful tool.
The head of Indo-Pacific research at the Takshashila Institution in Bengaluru noted that there are undoubtedly people in China who are enjoying the trade tensions between India and the US.
Analyst Kugelman noted that Putin would like to "take advantage of the moment by reaffirming Russia's close relations with India," and added that it would be "an excellent moment for everyone to express their opinion to Washington."
Washington has pointed to India's continued purchases of Russian crude oil and military equipment as a reason for raising tariffs, arguing that Delhi is helping Moscow finance the war against Ukraine.
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As The Guardian writes, the economic blow is huge. The US is India's largest export market with an annual volume of $86.5 billion, and two-thirds of this amount – about $60.2 billion in goods – are now subject to new tariffs, affecting labor-intensive sectors, from textiles to jewelry.
Even before the introduction of tariffs, India was cautious about China as a source of investment and technology, hoping to stimulate trade. Relations froze after a bloody clash along the disputed border in the Himalayas in 2020, but began to thaw when Modi and Xi Jinping met in person for the first time in four years at the BRICS summit in Russia in October. Now, according to Kugelman, "the American-Indian crisis has given Modi a good opportunity to accelerate efforts to de-escalate tensions."
Modi is expected to meet with Xi on the sidelines of the regional summit, with trade and investment on the agenda.
Efforts are now underway to see if India and China can reach some new equilibrium. Both sides recognize that the world order is constantly changing. Neither is likely to be able to decisively deal with all frictions, but at least there is a process of trying to develop relations.
Historical distrust will remain
But if Delhi and Beijing can create some stability and predictability without expecting structural breakthroughs, it will bring practical benefits.
Russia can also benefit from the disagreements between India and the US, as Delhi considers these relations more important than ever for balancing ties with the West, diversifying military equipment purchases, and ensuring energy security."
For Modi, photographs of him standing alongside Xi Jinping and Putin at the summit will be a clear signal to Washington.
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Indian officials emphasize that Delhi wishes to continue its ties with the US, but also needs to "diversify its partnerships."
India cannot now "afford to look like it is caving to US pressure on oil imports or anything else that could be interpreted as a capitulation, and public outrage is high," one official said anonymously.
As The Guardian notes, on Thursday, the Indian government took the first step to offset American tariffs by launching an export campaign in 40 countries from the UK to South Korea to boost its textile trade. Before his trip to China, Modi will travel to Tokyo on Friday for the annual India-Japan summit, where he will meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
The trip gains additional weight in light of American tariffs, as by deepening defense, technological, and investment ties with Japan, India signals that it can mitigate the blow from losing access to the US market.
Japanese companies also intend to invest up to 10 trillion yen ($68 billion) in India over the next decade, public broadcaster NHK reported, while Suzuki Motor has pledged to invest about $8 billion over the next five to six years. The two countries are partners "made for each other," Modi said this week after visiting a Suzuki plant in India.
Leaders are expected to discuss cooperation on critical minerals and Japanese investment in high-value manufacturing in India, officials said.
India is believed to have significant deposits of rare earth elements, which are used in everything from smartphones to solar panels, but it lacks the technology for their widespread extraction and processing.