Nikki Haley Warns Against Damaging US-India Ties While Letting China Off the Hook
New York:
Indian-American Republican leader Nikki Haley on Tuesday criticized the US administration’s stance on India, urging Washington not to strain its relationship with a key ally while being lenient towards China. Her remarks come in response to former President Donald Trump’s threats to impose heavy tariffs on India over its continued purchase of Russian crude oil.
“India shouldn’t be buying oil from Russia,” Haley acknowledged in a post on X (formerly Twitter). “But China—our adversary and the top buyer of Russian and Iranian oil—was given a 90-day tariff pause. Don’t let China off the hook while damaging ties with a strong ally like India.”
Haley, who served as US Ambassador to the United Nations under Trump and was the first Indian-American in a cabinet-level role, ran for the 2024 presidential nomination before exiting the race in March last year.
Her remarks came shortly after Trump criticized India, calling it an unfair trading partner. He warned that tariffs on Indian imports would be “raised substantially within 24 hours” due to India’s oil trade with Russia, which he claimed was “fueling the war machine.”
India, in response, issued a sharp rebuke to both the US and European Union, calling their criticism of its energy ties with Russia “unjustified and unreasonable.”
Meanwhile, Trump struck a far more conciliatory tone toward China in an interview with CNBC, describing relations with President Xi Jinping as strong and hinting at a possible meeting “before the end of the year,” contingent on a trade deal.
“We’re getting very close to a deal,” Trump said. “We have a good relationship. China is very reliant on the US. I respect Xi, and they respect us. I think we’ll make a good deal—though it’s not absolutely necessary.”
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
