Nikki Haley Warns Against Damaging US-India Ties, Criticizes China Tariff Leniency

Indian-American Republican leader Nikki Haley has urged the United States to protect its strategic partnership with India and avoid favoring China, following former President Donald Trump’s recent criticism of New Delhi over trade and energy ties with Russia.

In a strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Haley said, “India should not be buying oil from Russia. But China, an adversary and the number one buyer of Russian and Iranian oil, got a 90-day tariff pause. Don’t give China a pass and burn a relationship with a strong ally like India.”

Haley, who served as the US Ambassador to the United Nations during Trump’s first term and was the first Indian-American to hold a cabinet-level position, emphasized the importance of maintaining strong US-India relations.

Her remarks came shortly after Trump labeled India as a poor trading partner, threatening to "very substantially" raise tariffs within 24 hours in response to India’s continued oil imports from Russia, which he claimed were "fueling the war machine."

Haley, who briefly ran for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination before withdrawing in March 2024, has frequently positioned herself as a strong advocate for a firm stance on China while reinforcing alliances with democratic partners like India.

(This story is published from a syndicated feed)