Nikki Haley to Trump: India’s Growth Strengthens Free World, Unlike China, Even With 50% Tariffs

Nikki Haley to Trump: Don’t Treat India Like China, Strengthen Strategic Partnership.

Former US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has cautioned Donald Trump against undermining ties with India, arguing that New Delhi must be treated as a “free and democratic partner,” not an adversary like Beijing.

Writing in Newsweek, Haley criticised Trump’s decision to impose 50% tariffs on India over its imports of Russian oil, while sparing China—Moscow’s largest energy buyer—from similar penalties. She warned that such actions risk “scuttling 25 years of momentum” in building one of Washington’s most crucial strategic partnerships.

“Unlike Communist-controlled China, the rise of a democratic India does not threaten the free world. Partnership between the US and India to counter China should be a no-brainer,” Haley said.

Highlighting India’s growing global role, Haley noted that New Delhi could help the US shift critical supply chains away from China by producing at scale in sectors like textiles, solar panels, and affordable electronics. She also pointed to India’s increasing clout in the Middle East and its location on China’s trade and energy routes as key strategic advantages for Washington.

Haley urged both sides to resolve tensions over Russian oil purchases and pressed Trump to “reverse the downward spiral” in relations by engaging directly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She added that the White House should give India the same level of diplomatic focus it devotes to China or Israel.

Her remarks come at a time when India-US relations are strained by Trump’s tariff move, which many analysts view as undercutting Washington’s long-term strategy of balancing China’s growing influence in Asia.