US says ties with India good despite Trump's tariff tantrums

TOI correspondent from Washington: The Trump administration on Friday maintained that the "historic relationship" between India and the US is "consequential and far-reaching" despite taking punitive steps over trade issues that shaken and undermined ties.

The upbeat message came from the State Department on the occasion of India's Independence Day. While such statements are typically pro-forma, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two countries are "united by our shared vision for a more peaceful, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific region" and described the partnership as spanning industries, promoting innovation, pushing the boundaries of critical and emerging technologies, and extending into space.
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"Working together, the United States and India will rise to the modern challenges of today and ensure a brighter future for both our countries," he said.

The statement, with its reference to Indo-Pacific security and a broader agenda, seemed to confirm the impression that the wide berth given to China by the Trump White House and its sudden embrace of Pakistan is largely tactical, and US-India ties remain on solid footing. Key Indian officials have said on background that the White House and rest of the administration don't seem to be in sync because outside of the trade and tariff issue, it is business as usual on all other fronts, including close cooperation in critical security and mil-tech areas.

Among other things, right in the middle of the trade spat, India and US conducted a joint space mission involving ISRO and NASA, launching the satellite NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) on July 30 to monitor changes on Earth's land and ice surfaces and generate data for understanding natural hazards and climate change. Indian companies are also on track -- barring more mishaps -- to receive from nVidia advanced Blackwell chips for AI that the US has been blocked for China.

The State Department issued a similar statement a day earlier on Pakistan's independence day but it was conspicuously narrower in scope, focusing on counterterrorism, trade, and exploiting Pakistan's purported resources.

"The US deeply appreciates Pakistan’s engagement on counterterrorism and trade. We look forward to exploring new areas of economic cooperation, including critical minerals and hydrocarbons, and fostering dynamic business partnerships which will promote a prosperous future for Americans and Pakistanis," the message said.

According to knowledgeable sources, the White House's tactical embrace of Islamabad is largely driven by private business interests aimed at exploiting Pakistan's purported natural resources, including oil, gas, and minerals. A Trump family-backed firm with ties to the "Pakistan Crypto Council" that Islamabad drummed up out of the blue reportedly fired up new ardor in Trump White House for a country that President once said was a haven for terrorists.

While the outreach is ostensibly aimed at drawing Pakistan out of the Chinese stranglehold, another new argument is that Washington needs Islamabad to counter Iran, the new US bogey now that Afghanistan has returned to the dark ages.

But the American commentariat is largely unanimous in saying the White House move has badly damaged US-India ties, possibly irreparably despite the State Department's buoyant message on Independence Day. "Even if Trump again reverses course, the damage has been done. Indians believe that the United States has shown its true colors: its unreliability, its willingness to treat its friends badly. They will understandably feel that, to hedge their bets, they need to stay close to Russia — and even make amends with China," Fareed Zakaria, host of CNN's GPS program said on Friday, adding that the country is "united in its shock and anger at Trump’s insulting behavior."