External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has stated that it’s a “very gross oversimplification” and “even misleading at times” to make the India-U.S. relationship about China.
Mr. Jaishankar was responding to a query on how a lot of the India-U.S. relationship is outlined by its stance on China.
“I think it’s a very gross oversimplification to make India-U.S. about China. In fact, it’s not just an oversimplification. I think it’s even misleading at times,” Mr. Jaishankar said on Monday (June 30, 2025) during a conversation with Newsweek CEO Dev Pragad at the publication’s headquarters at One World Trade Centre near the 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan, New York.
He said that the India-U.S. relationship is about “so many other things,” noting the large Indian community, which contributes significantly to the U.S.
“I think it’s been a game-changer. It has got nothing to do with China,” he said.
Strong financial join
He pressured that Washington and Delhi have a really sturdy financial join.
“Look at our trade numbers and look at the relevance of that trade to our respective economies. Look at our technology connect,” he stated, including that there’s a tendency to level even the defence or safety cooperation in direction of China, however “I ask you to look at the other coast. We work to keep the Arabian Sea safe for global shipping.
“This is (an) age of oversimplification. I urge you not to fall into that. I think the world is much more nuanced. It’s much more multi-causal. We have many more interests than just one country. I would certainly like to believe that the relationship is going well because there is great merit in me,” Mr. Jaishankar stated.
U.S.-China relations ‘not what it used to be’
He added that there are certain realities of the landscape, and one of them is that the relationship between the U.S. and China is not what it used to be, it has acquired a much sharper competitive edge.
“Frankly, where we are concerned, we look at these two countries, and each one of them has made up its mind about how it views the other. Obviously, there will be an element of tactics to it. There’s a larger strategic view that they have of each other,” he said, adding that “we would look quite honestly to see in what way are our interests furthered in this landscape.
“I believe in some ways, you may see that we have now very sturdy convergences with the United States. At the identical time, we’re China’s largest neighbour. We share a land boundary. We need steady relations with China,” he stated, including that Beijing is a really giant commerce associate as effectively, though it’s an imbalanced commerce.
“So for us, how to sort of steady the China relationship, create an equilibrium that is fair to us (and) at the same time, how do you work the convergences with the United States and get the most out of it. I mean, that’s, frankly, the way we would approach it,” he stated.
