'Treat India As A Prized Partner': Nikki Haley Advises Trump To Build Strong US-India Ties

The former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, in an opinion piece called for President Donald Trump to recognise India as a "prized free and democratic partner".

Haley noted that scuttling a quarter-century of growing partnership with India would be a "strategic disaster" given the current geopolitical scenario. Her commentary called for the need of a stronger US-India partnership, as it's a key counter to "Communist-controlled China."

She points out that India's rise does not pose a threat to the free world, unlike China's. She emphasised India's immense potential to scale up manufacturing, which could be a viable alternative for the US to relocate critical supply chains away from China.

Haley's piece advises Trump to dedicate more high-level attention and resources to the US-India relationship, placing it on par with the US's ties with China and Israel.

She also highlighted India's conflicting economic interests and ongoing territorial disputes with China. She said that the partnership with the US would serve America's interests to help India stand up, both economically and militarily.

Haley said that it would be a massive and preventable mistake to balloon a trade spat between the United States and India into an enduring rupture, as mentioned in the opinion piece published on News Week.

She also raised concerns over China taking advantage of the situation. She advised India to take Trump's point on Russian oil seriously and work with the White House to find a solution.

The former ambassador also highlighted India's growing defenze capabilities and its role in fostering stability in the Middle East. According to Haley, India's upward trajectory is one of the "greatest obstacles to China's goal of reshaping the global order."