Modi hails ‘friend’ Putin and boosts China ties in tilt from US
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is poised to visit China and hold meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping later in August.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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NEW DELHI – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed Russian leader Vladimir Putin as a “friend” while his government moved to bolster relations with China, another sign India is tilting away from the United States in the face of President Donald Trump’s tariff threats.
Mr Modi held a phone call with Mr Putin following the Russian President’s summit with Mr Trump in Alaska. During the conversation, the two discussed issues of bilateral cooperation and agreed to remain in close touch, according to an official statement from New Delhi.
“India has consistently called for a peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict and supports all efforts in this regard,” Mr Modi said in a post on X on Aug 18, adding that he looks forward to “continued exchanges” with Mr Putin in the coming days.
The comments came just ahead of a meeting set for Aug 19 between Mr Modi and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is visiting India for the first time in three years.
Both countries want better relations
“Having seen a difficult period in our relationship” both nations “now seek to move ahead”, Mr Jaishankar said in New Delhi. “Differences must not become disputes, nor competition conflict.”
Mr Wang said that because “unilateral bullying is prevalent”, the two sides should “contribute to promoting the multi-polarisation of the world”, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry in Beijing.
He added that China and India should “regard each other as partners and opportunities, not as opponents or threats”.
China has assured India of supplies of fertiliser, rare earth minerals and tunnel-boring machines, an official in New Delhi told reporters, asking not to be identified because discussions are private. China’s statement on Aug 18 did not mention these assurances.
Trump disappoints
India’s outreach to Russia and China underscores its weakening relationship with the US under Mr Trump.
New Delhi initially welcomed the new administration, hopeful of striking a quick trade deal and building on years of closer ties with the US, its largest trading partner.
However, the two sides have been at odds recently in the wake of their failure to strike an agreement, and ties further soured after Mr Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on India over its purchases of Russian oil, a level that would decimate many Indian exporters
In a Financial Times column on Aug 18, Mr Trump’s trade adviser Peter Navarro called India’s purchases of Russian oil “ opportunistic and deeply corrosive”
Russia and India are long-time partners dating back to the Cold War, and India has broadly stayed neutral over Mr Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, relations between India and China have undergone a thaw
Ties hit a low point after a bloody border skirmish five years ago. But recent months have seen signs of fence-mending: Beijing has loosened curbs on urea exports, New Delhi has reinstated tourist visas for Chinese nationals, while a growing number of Indian businesses have been seeking partnerships with Chinese companies for deals, including technology transfers.
Mr Trump’s tariffs on both countries’ exports, and threats to penalise India for buying Russian oil, are adding urgency to normalise ties.
Mr Modi is poised to visit China and hold meetings with President Xi Jinping later in August on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit. If confirmed, it would be Mr Modi’s first visit to China in seven years.
Mr Jaishankar said that “overall, it is our expectation that our discussions would contribute to building a stable, cooperative and forward-looking relationship between India and China”. BLOOMBERG
