https://www.scmp.com/rss/507794/feed Breaking news and analysis on US-India relations, including trade, defence and diplomacy. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com SCMP SCMP We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering global relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Quad summit plan turns uneasy as India pushes ahead without top leaders: sources A stretch of awkward diplomacy was unfolding in the Indo-Pacific in April: New Delhi was planning to host a foreign ministers’ meeting that could have been framed as a leaders-level discussion, even if the top... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351918/awkward-india-diplomacy-us-nato-crisis-strait-hormuz-woes-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3351918/awkward-india-diplomacy-us-nato-crisis-strait-hormuz-woes-7-global-relations-reads?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 May 2026 14:30:08 +0000 Li Xing Li Xing Geopolitics, at its core, examines how geography shapes international politics, power distribution and security dynamics. One enduring idea is geographer Halford Mackinder’s “heartland” theory, which situates Eurasia as the central arena of global power competition. In 1904, Mackinder argued that the vast land mass of Europe and Asia – what he called the “world island” – contained a pivotal core, the “heartland”, rich in resources, population and strategic depth. His dictum – “Who rules Eastern... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3351015/why-us-led-security-alliances-asia-are-losing-coherence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3351015/why-us-led-security-alliances-asia-are-losing-coherence?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse US President Donald Trump reposted a video and comments from a conservative pundit calling India a “hellhole”, prompting the South Asian country on Thursday to criticise the remarks as “inappropriate”. The comments come ahead of a planned visit next month to India by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who would seek to turn the page on recent tensions between the normally friendly powers. Trump late on Wednesday reposted on social media a video and a screed apparently written by someone else... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351218/china-or-india-or-some-other-hellhole-trump-reposts-anti-immigrant-rant?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3351218/china-or-india-or-some-other-hellhole-trump-reposts-anti-immigrant-rant?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:07:44 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The US will not give India the same kind of economic advantages it gave China, which allowed that country to emerge as a major competitor, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on Thursday, signalling Washington’s cautiousness in negotiations over a trade deal. While the US wants to work with India to unlock its “limitless potential,” India should understand that “we are not going to make the same mistakes with India that we made with China 20 years ago”, Landau said at the Raisina... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345629/us-wont-let-india-become-rival-china-trump-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3345629/us-wont-let-india-become-rival-china-trump-official-says?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 18:18:28 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The White House revised its fact sheet on the US-India trade agreement to adjust language around agricultural goods, adding to confusion about the deal already raised by farmer groups. In a revised statement, the US removed a reference to pulses – a staple food in India that includes lentils and chickpeas – and changed some phrasing around India’s offer to buy more American goods. An earlier version on Monday released by the White House said India would “eliminate or reduce tariffs” on a wide... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343201/trumps-white-house-revises-india-trade-deal-sparking-confusion-over-terms?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3343201/trumps-white-house-revises-india-trade-deal-sparking-confusion-over-terms?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 10:42:40 +0000 Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma Brian Rhoads,Raymond Ma India and China opened a new round of strategic dialogue as US tariffs on their exports spur the two Asian giants to broaden global trade ties and move beyond past disputes. Both countries “uphold the strategic perception that China and India are cooperative partners instead of rivals”, China’s foreign ministry said in a statement after Tuesday’s meeting in New Delhi between Executive Vice-Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri. “China and India should deepen mutual... https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3343183/china-india-find-common-cause-push-multipolar-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/plus/news/china/article/3343183/china-india-find-common-cause-push-multipolar-world?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 09:07:47 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg India’s imports of Russian oil could almost halve from already weaker recent levels, according to people with direct knowledge of the purchases, after US President Donald Trump issued an order detailing some terms of a trade deal between the two nations. All state-owned and private refiners, with the exception of Nayara Energy Ltd, had paused buying any spot cargoes since Trump first mentioned the deal in a social media post about a week ago, according to the people, who asked not to be named... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3342959/indias-oil-imports-russia-snared-trump-order-tariff-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3342959/indias-oil-imports-russia-snared-trump-order-tariff-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 13:16:02 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed an interim trade agreement with the United States, saying it would bolster global growth and deepen economic ties between the two countries. The pact cuts US “reciprocal” duties on Indian products to 18 per cent from 25 per cent, and commits India to large purchases of US energy and industrial goods. US President Donald Trump, while announcing the deal Tuesday, had said Modi promised to stop buying Russian oil over the war in Ukraine. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3342753/indias-modi-hails-great-news-after-us-slashes-tariffs-part-new-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3342753/indias-modi-hails-great-news-after-us-slashes-tariffs-part-new-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Feb 2026 06:47:27 +0000 C. Uday Bhaskar C. Uday Bhaskar For the India-China-US triangle, the new US-India trade deal, announced with Trumpian flourish on social media on Monday, has potentially significant economic, geopolitical and strategic implications. US President Donald Trump’s post, which came after a phone call with Narendra Modi, said the Indian prime minister had committed to “BUY AMERICAN”, including over US$500 billion of US products. It also said Modi had “agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3342263/why-new-us-india-trade-agreement-big-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3342263/why-new-us-india-trade-agreement-big-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 21:30:08 +0000 Fan Chen,Shi Jiangtao,Cao Jiaxuan Fan Chen,Shi Jiangtao,Cao Jiaxuan In the deepening shadow of US-China rivalry, India’s back-to-back trade pacts with the United States and the European Union mark a major tilt towards stronger economic ties with the West. While critical details – especially the scope of any reduction in Russian energy imports under the vague US agreement – remain unclear, experts predict the twin deals will give India leverage in its relationship with China and may slow the fragile thaw between New Delhi and Beijing. Meanwhile, New Delhi is... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342600/could-indias-twin-trade-agreements-set-back-its-improving-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3342600/could-indias-twin-trade-agreements-set-back-its-improving-ties-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 08:00:17 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A trade deal reached between India and the United States could lead to closer geopolitical alignment between the two countries and bring New Delhi a step closer to becoming a leading manufacturing hub. But observers are sceptical that New Delhi may stop buying Russian crude oil, and whether the volume of American exports to India may surge in a short span of time. On Monday, US President Donald Trump said he would reduce the US tariff on Indian imports to 18 per cent from 25 per cent and remove... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342233/why-india-may-gravitate-back-us-bloc-after-tariff-deal-two-way-trade-set-rise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3342233/why-india-may-gravitate-back-us-bloc-after-tariff-deal-two-way-trade-set-rise?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Feb 2026 09:00:31 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan After more than a year of haggling, US President Donald Trump on Monday announced a major trade deal between Washington and New Delhi that significantly de-escalates economic tensions between the two nations. A White House official confirmed to the South China Morning Post that the deal will remove the 25 per cent punitive Russia oil tariffs. Trump in a social media post earlier said that he held a phone call with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “He [Modi] agreed to stop buying Russian Oil,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3342155/trump-lifts-russia-related-oil-tariffs-india-under-new-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3342155/trump-lifts-russia-related-oil-tariffs-india-under-new-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 18:00:12 +0000 Mark Magnier Mark Magnier The world’s largest retail show held last week in New York saw a mood of measured optimism amid the bustle, cheap swag and canned smiles – a sense that the worst of last year’s tariff turmoil was over and that Chinese goods would continue to fill Walmart and Costco, even if they had to travel through a third country. “I feel more optimistic for this year,” said Teagan Pollard, an IT expert with TP Industries, which sells vaping equipment from China. “The economy and tariffs have been rough. But... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3340995/americas-biggest-retail-show-china-question-never-really-goes-away?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3340995/americas-biggest-retail-show-china-question-never-really-goes-away?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 23 Jan 2026 16:00:14 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang The United States is likely to lose its clear edge over China in strategic relations with major nations by 2035, a prominent Chinese political scientist has predicted. Yan Xuetong, honorary dean of Tsinghua University’s Institute of International Relations, said strategic competition between Beijing and Washington was likely to remain intense in the coming decade and could escalate into a crisis during US President Donald Trump’s second term, but the risk of direct war could decline under... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340468/how-narrowing-china-us-gap-could-reshape-global-power-play-2035?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340468/how-narrowing-china-us-gap-could-reshape-global-power-play-2035?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 14:30:44 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji US President Donald Trump’s backing for a Senate bill that would allow tariffs of up to 500 per cent on goods from countries buying Russian oil has raised the prospect of a near-freeze in trade between India and its largest export market, as New Delhi continues to absorb steep US duties imposed last year. Trump last week gave the green light to the proposal, which targets any country that continues to buy Russian oil, petroleum products or uranium, a move seen as part of Washington’s effort to... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339920/trumps-500-tariff-push-raises-risk-india-us-trade-freeze?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3339920/trumps-500-tariff-push-raises-risk-india-us-trade-freeze?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 15 Jan 2026 02:00:18 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji For thousands of India’s technology professionals working in the United States, the Christmas break ended not with a smooth return to the office but with a bureaucratic cliffhanger. Routine H‑1B visa renewals at US consular posts across India were abruptly pushed back as Washington ratcheted up its vetting of applicants’ online activity. Interviews that many had expected to sail through were suddenly rescheduled for months later, leaving engineers stranded, projects disrupted and employers... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3339416/next-appointment-2027-us-visa-squeeze-hits-indias-tech-talent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3339416/next-appointment-2027-us-visa-squeeze-hits-indias-tech-talent?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 03:00:11 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Indian exporters of products ranging from home decor to leather shoes are worried about missing the US summer shopping season if they are unable to lock in orders in January as trade deal talks drag on between New Delhi and Washington. This will be the decisive month for sealing the trade pact so contracts can be secured for the first half of 2026, according to half a dozen local exporters. The punitive 50 per cent US tariffs since August already hurt the exporters’ order volumes in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3338980/indian-exporters-fear-washout-us-orders-elusive-trade-deal-prolongs-tariff-pain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3338980/indian-exporters-fear-washout-us-orders-elusive-trade-deal-prolongs-tariff-pain?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 02:18:40 +0000 Agence France-Presse,Associated Press Agence France-Presse,Associated Press A US federal judge on Tuesday upheld President Donald Trump’s US$100,000 fee to process H-1B visa applications, while also acknowledging it could “inflict significant harm on American businesses and institutions of higher education”. In a 56-page opinion, US District Judge Beryl Howell wrote that the president has “broad statutory authority” to address “a problem he perceives to be a matter of economic and national security”. The US$100,000 application fee announced in September gave companies... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3337657/trumps-us100000-h-1b-visa-fee-upheld-judge-lottery-system-ends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3337657/trumps-us100000-h-1b-visa-fee-upheld-judge-lottery-system-ends?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Dec 2025 12:42:33 +0000 Tom Hussain Tom Hussain The United States and Pakistan are reviving defence and minerals cooperation in a bid to reset their uneasy ties, marking a policy shift that has stirred anxiety in India even as Washington seeks to reassure New Delhi. Washington has approved hundreds of millions of dollars in upgrades for Pakistan’s ageing F-16 fighter jets and opened the door to more than US$1 billion in financing for US companies involved in critical minerals projects in the South Asian nation. These moves mark the most... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3336526/india-wary-us-backs-pakistan-f-16-upgrades-and-mineral-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3336526/india-wary-us-backs-pakistan-f-16-upgrades-and-mineral-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 16 Dec 2025 03:00:11 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Despite a high-level phone call between US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, 2025 is likely to end without the long-promised US-India trade deal, as the “America first” leader continues to stall the agreement while working to cement improved ties with Beijing. The call came just days after Modi hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin. While the Indian Prime Minister described his conversation with Trump as “warm and engaging” in a social media post,... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3336135/trump-and-modi-have-warm-phone-call-2025-unlikely-end-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3336135/trump-and-modi-have-warm-phone-call-2025-unlikely-end-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 23:00:52 +0000 C. Uday Bhaskar C. Uday Bhaskar Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two-day state visit to New Delhi last week, for the 23rd Russia-India Summit, was heavy on optics, symbolism and multilayered signals, while tangible outcomes were relatively modest. First and foremost, Putin signalled to the West that Russia is not isolated, despite the US-led criticism of the war his government has unleashed against Ukraine since 2022. In an unusual departure from customary diplomatic practice, three European ambassadors to India – from... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3335866/putins-visit-india-reveals-anxieties-changing-world-order?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3335866/putins-visit-india-reveals-anxieties-changing-world-order?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A plunge in the value of the Indian rupee to record lows over the past week, making it Asia’s worst-performing currency, could be a mixed blessing for the South Asian economy as it pushes to finalise a trade deal with the United States, observers say. The rupee depreciated beyond 90 to the US dollar this week, deepening a slide that began last week. While the currency’s weakness is driving up the cost of essentials such as oil imports and overseas tuition, it has also brought some short-term... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3336033/why-indias-currency-slide-creating-us-tariff-relief-exporters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3336033/why-indias-currency-slide-creating-us-tariff-relief-exporters?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 08:30:13 +0000 Ivan Lidarev Ivan Lidarev On December 4, India welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin with great pomp for a two-day state visit. The visit, the first since 2021, coincided with a huge India-Russia business forum and embodied the “special and privileged strategic partnership” between New Delhi and Moscow. The two sides discussed exporting US-sanctioned Russian oil and arms to India and agreed to boost trade, connectivity and joint manufacturing. Predictably, the visit upset the West and generated fresh tensions in... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3335693/3-reasons-indias-partnership-russia-endures?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3335693/3-reasons-indias-partnership-russia-endures?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Dec 2025 12:30:08 +0000 Rupert Stone Rupert Stone Much has been written about China’s alleged role in the US opioid crisis. Chemicals from Chinese suppliers have supposedly been used by Mexican cartels to produce fentanyl, which is then trafficked into the United States where it has fuelled a deadly overdose crisis. Successive US administrations have pressured Beijing to crack down on its chemical industry. China has taken repeated steps to regulate precursors, including most recently last month when it restricted 13 new chemicals at US... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3335067/americas-opioid-crisis-wont-be-solved-without-indias-help?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3335067/americas-opioid-crisis-wont-be-solved-without-indias-help?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Nicholas Spiro Nicholas Spiro For a sign of the degree to which US President Donald Trump’s decision in August to double tariffs on most Indian goods to a staggering 50 per cent – the highest rate across Asia – is weighing on investor sentiment, look no further than the rupee. Having plumbed a series of record lows in recent months, India’s currency has been the worst performer in Asia this year and has breached the psychologically important level of 90 per US dollar. One of the last major economies yet to strike a trade... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3335150/india-and-japan-show-impact-trumps-tariffs-extend-beyond-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3335150/india-and-japan-show-impact-trumps-tariffs-extend-beyond-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 08:32:05 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg India plans to start discussions towards the purchase of Russian fighter jets and a missile defence shield during President Vladimir Putin’s visit this week, according to people with knowledge of the matter, even as US President Donald Trump’s administration seeks to reduce dealings between the two nations. India and Russia have a Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership under which discussions for the purchase of Su-57 fighter jets and an advanced version of the missile defence shield S-500... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3334689/indias-modi-pitch-arms-deal-russia-putin-despite-us-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3334689/indias-modi-pitch-arms-deal-russia-putin-despite-us-efforts?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 15:04:09 +0000 Maria Siow Maria Siow Russia’s offer to transfer fifth-generation fighter jet technology to India is being seen as a strategic overture at a time when New Delhi’s relations with Washington are strained over trade disputes and diplomatic spats. Analysts say the proposed transfer – involving the Su-57 stealth fighter – not only signals Moscow’s desire to revitalise defence ties with one of its top arms buyers, but also offers India a timely opportunity to demonstrate that it has “strategic options” as it navigates a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334281/russias-su-57-offer-boosts-indias-strategic-options-amid-strained-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3334281/russias-su-57-offer-boosts-indias-strategic-options-amid-strained-us-ties?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Nov 2025 03:00:20 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India and Canada have agreed to restart talks on a long-delayed free-trade agreement, in the strongest signal yet of a thaw in their relations following a two-year diplomatic row triggered by the 2023 killing of a Sikh separatist in British Columbia. The resumption of negotiations underscores both countries’ aim to prioritise economic ties over a resolution to a lingering political issue, even as the underlying tensions over Sikh separatism remain unresolved, according to analysts. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3334063/economics-above-politics-india-and-canada-resume-trade-agreement-talks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/economics/article/3334063/economics-above-politics-india-and-canada-resume-trade-agreement-talks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 25 Nov 2025 07:28:53 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Washington’s approval of a US$93 million arms deal for India signals warming ties between the two sides after months of trade tensions and a potential prelude to a visit by US President Donald Trump to New Delhi next year, according to analysts. The supply of Javelin anti-tank missiles and Excalibur precision-guided artillery rounds to India comes as the two countries seek to end a dispute over US tariffs and negotiate a broad trade agreement. Analysts say the weapons purchase could help reduce... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333740/will-us-approval-arms-sales-india-pave-way-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3333740/will-us-approval-arms-sales-india-pave-way-trade-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 12:26:30 +0000 Reuters Reuters Indian agricultural exporters are among the winners from US President Donald Trump’s exemption of dozens of food items from his reciprocal tariffs, which some analysts say could help revive lost demand. Trump on Friday removed tariffs he had imposed on more than 200 food products, including beef, as consumer concerns mount over rising US grocery prices. Unlike EU and Vietnamese suppliers facing 15-20 per cent duties, Indian exporters of tea, coffee, spices and cashew nuts were hit harder after... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3332995/trump-exempts-indian-items-tariffs-amid-rising-consumer-costs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3332995/trump-exempts-indian-items-tariffs-amid-rising-consumer-costs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 13:23:36 +0000 Aparna Divya Aparna Divya In recent months, India-China relations have returned to normality after a long decade of confrontation. With the resumption of direct flights after five years, recent corps commander-level talks, the reopening of the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage route, the relaxation of barriers on hi-tech supplies and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping exchanging pleasantries at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, a quiet detente is under way. This cooperation could... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332286/can-china-and-india-turn-tactical-calm-strategic-moderation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3332286/can-china-and-india-turn-tactical-calm-strategic-moderation?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 12:30:11 +0000 Farwa Aamer Farwa Aamer The year began with promise for US-India relations. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington reinforced both countries’ intent to sustain the partnership’s momentum. Their personal rapport, forged during US President Donald Trump’s first term, appeared to offer political capital for a results-driven agenda. India entered 2025 buoyed by a bipartisan consensus in Washington that New Delhi was central to the Indo-Pacific balance. Yet as the year closes, optimism has faded. A... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3332216/how-india-and-us-can-find-their-way-back-better-relations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3332216/how-india-and-us-can-find-their-way-back-better-relations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 21:30:09 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The US sanctioned dozens of firms and people supporting Iran’s ballistic missile and drone manufacturing industry across countries in Asia and the Middle East as part of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran. The Treasury Department announced sanctions Wednesday on 32 individuals and entities in Iran, the UAE, Turkey, China, Hong Kong, India, Germany and Ukraine that it said have helped procure key components, including missile propellant precursors, for the drone... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3332556/us-sanctions-firms-china-india-over-iranian-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3332556/us-sanctions-firms-china-india-over-iranian-weapons?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 19:49:36 +0000 Junaid Kathju Junaid Kathju India has secured a contract with the US to supply engines for its indigenous Tejas fighter jets, reinforcing defence ties despite trade tensions – even as military analysts say that Pakistan’s superior Chinese-supplied warplanes remain a formidable threat. State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Friday announced it had signed an agreement with US-based General Electric Company (GE) for the supply of 113 F404-GE-IN20 engines and a support package for India’s Tejas Mk1A light combat... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332447/indias-tejas-fighter-jet-gets-us-engines-battle-pakistans-chinese-air-power?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332447/indias-tejas-fighter-jet-gets-us-engines-battle-pakistans-chinese-air-power?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Nov 2025 08:00:09 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A potential visit by US President Donald Trump to India could provide the impetus to conclude trade talks between New Delhi and Washington, analysts say, amid doubts about his commitment to the Indo-Pacific due to uncertainty over a proposed Quad security summit in the Indian capital. Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday that his talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi were “going great” and that a visit to Delhi could take place next year, though he declined to specify a... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332344/are-us-india-ties-set-rebound-following-trumps-positive-assessment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3332344/are-us-india-ties-set-rebound-following-trumps-positive-assessment?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Nov 2025 09:23:52 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US President Donald Trump has said he will visit India at the urging of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the latest sign of a possible thaw in a trade dispute that has soured the two countries’ relationship. “He’s a friend of mine, and we speak, and he wants me to go there, and we’ll figure that out, I’ll go,” Trump told reporters on Thursday, calling Modi a “great man”. Trump said the visit “could be” next year but otherwise declined to provide a timeline for a trip. “I do not have anything on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3332023/trump-says-he-will-visit-indias-modi-despite-tariff-tiff-hes-friend-mine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3332023/trump-says-he-will-visit-indias-modi-despite-tariff-tiff-hes-friend-mine?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Nov 2025 05:07:45 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Indians lit up social media on Wednesday to celebrate Zohran Mamdani’s election win as New York mayor after he thanked his Indian-born parents, quoted a historic speech by India’s first prime minister and turned the victory rally into a Bollywood-style street party. “We are proud of him. He has done a great job,” Mamdani’s maternal uncle Vikram Nair said. He said he was flooded with requests from friends and family to throw celebratory parties. “We will plan it soon,” he said, adding that the... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3331694/india-celebration-zohran-mamdanis-new-york-mayoral-win-and-his-roots?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3331694/india-celebration-zohran-mamdanis-new-york-mayoral-win-and-his-roots?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 05 Nov 2025 20:12:18 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji India and the United States have renewed a 10-year defence framework, reaffirming their strategic partnership despite simmering tensions over trade and Delhi’s deepening defence ties with Russia. The timing of the signing has put a spotlight on the balancing act required to maintain India–US defence ties, in which Delhi’s pursuit of American weapon systems is complicated by its deepening military dependence on Moscow, according to analysts. The agreement was signed on Friday in Kuala Lumpur by... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331091/why-india-maintains-balancing-act-between-us-and-russia-defence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3331091/why-india-maintains-balancing-act-between-us-and-russia-defence?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 10:38:59 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said military ties with India have “never been stronger” following a meeting with his counterpart Rajnath Singh, signalling that trade tensions have not affected broader strategic cooperation. During the Friday meeting, the two renewed a 10-year defence framework, with Hegseth calling the India-US partnership “one of the most consequential” in the world. This was their first in-person meeting and took place on the sidelines of a gathering of defence chiefs from... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3331048/us-india-open-new-doors-ties-after-sealing-ambitious-defence-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3331048/us-india-open-new-doors-ties-after-sealing-ambitious-defence-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 Oct 2025 07:21:52 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg The US is seeking to expand its strategic relationship with Pakistan but those ties do not come at the expense of Washington’s relations with India, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said. Just like India had ties with countries that the US did not, the vice versa applies, Rubio told reporters on board a flight to Doha. “It’s part of a mature, pragmatic foreign policy,” he said on Saturday. “I don’t think anything we’re doing with Pakistan comes at the expense of our relationship or friendship... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3330440/us-pakistan-ties-not-expense-india-rubio?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3330440/us-pakistan-ties-not-expense-india-rubio?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 06:28:51 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan A long-awaited trade deal between India and the United States may be facing political delays, despite broad agreement that would cut the steep 50 per cent duties imposed on New Delhi by US President Donald Trump to about 15-16 per cent, according to two people familiar with the talks. The sources, who declined to be identified given sensitive negotiations, said that while Washington is eager to conclude the deal quickly to appease US farmers caught in the crossfire with trade frictions with... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3330129/trump-and-modis-tariff-tango-russian-oil-soybeans-and-delayed-deal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3330129/trump-and-modis-tariff-tango-russian-oil-soybeans-and-delayed-deal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Oct 2025 21:35:20 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump reiterated on Sunday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told him India would stop buying Russian oil, while warning that New Delhi would continue paying “massive” tariffs if it did not do so. “I spoke with Prime Minister Modi of India, and he said he’s not going to be doing the Russian oil thing,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. Asked about India’s assertion that it was not aware of any conversation between Modi and Trump, Trump replied: “But if they... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3329609/trump-warns-india-massive-tariffs-will-remain-unless-it-ends-russian-oil-imports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3329609/trump-warns-india-massive-tariffs-will-remain-unless-it-ends-russian-oil-imports?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 02:44:11 +0000 Reuters Reuters US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that he told Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato that the Trump administration expects Japan to stop importing Russian energy. “Minister Kato and I also discussed important issues pertaining to the US-Japan economic relationship and the Administration’s expectation that Japan stop importing Russian energy,” Bessent said on social media after the two met on Wednesday. Bessent and Kato met on the sidelines of the annual International... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3329187/after-india-us-tells-japan-stop-importing-russian-energy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/east-asia/article/3329187/after-india-us-tells-japan-stop-importing-russian-energy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Oct 2025 02:43:27 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan Ashley Tellis, a prominent Indian-American national security expert and long-time US adviser, has been accused of hoarding classified documents and repeatedly meeting Chinese officials, stirring concern over possible Beijing ties and jolting Washington’s foreign policy circles. An affidavit dated October 13 in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia said more than a thousand pages of classified materials – several marked “Top Secret” and “Secret” – were recovered from various... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3329035/us-national-security-expert-arrested-over-classified-files-china-ties-probed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3329035/us-national-security-expert-arrested-over-classified-files-china-ties-probed?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 21:10:38 +0000 Nikola Mikovic Nikola Mikovic Western sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine have shifted global energy flows, with India and China emerging as prominent buyers of Russian oil. The question is no longer from whom New Delhi and Beijing will purchase energy, but in which currency they will pay. Amid warming ties between India and China following US President Donald Trump’s imposition of sweeping tariffs on Indian exports after New Delhi refused to stop purchasing Russian oil, Indian traders are reportedly asking... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3328799/how-indias-purchases-russian-oil-are-reshaping-global-energy-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3328799/how-indias-purchases-russian-oil-are-reshaping-global-energy-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 08:30:09 +0000 Khushboo Razdan Khushboo Razdan More than two dozen Democrats warned US President Donald Trump in a letter this week that his “America First” tariffs are pushing India towards China. Republicans refused to join them, underscoring deep political divisions and testing Washington’s long-held bipartisan support for New Delhi. The letter, which squarely blamed Trump’s policies for “creating negative consequences for both countries”, was signed by Ro Khanna, an Indian-American from California, Deborah Ross of North Carolina, and 19... https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3328429/democrats-press-trump-repair-fraying-india-ties-republicans-ignore-plea?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/us/diplomacy/article/3328429/democrats-press-trump-repair-fraying-india-ties-republicans-ignore-plea?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Oct 2025 15:35:34 +0000 Bibek Raj Kandel,Christina Monroe Bibek Raj Kandel,Christina Monroe As the global order fragments, India’s foreign policy orientation has become a question of consequence far beyond South Asia. For three decades, “Look East” has been New Delhi’s mantra, positioning itself as an emerging player in the broader region. The strategy has included engaging the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, deepening India’s presence in Asia-Pacific institutions and eventually leaning into the “Indo-Pacific” frameworks shaped by the United States, Japan and Australia. It... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3327966/indias-diplomatic-weight-best-exercised-closest-its-borders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3327966/indias-diplomatic-weight-best-exercised-closest-its-borders?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 01:30:08 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit India in December, a trip that could test New Delhi’s delicate balancing act between Moscow and Washington amid escalating pressure from the United States over oil and weapons purchases from the sanctioned country. Analysts say the visit is likely to deepen India’s defiance of Western demands as it strengthens energy and defence ties with Russia. But it could also complicate Delhi’s strategic ambitions – including a potential trade deal with... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327828/putins-visit-test-india-us-sticky-ties-amid-pressure-over-oil-weapons-trade?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3327828/putins-visit-test-india-us-sticky-ties-amid-pressure-over-oil-weapons-trade?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 11:34:27 +0000 Reuters Reuters US President Donald Trump’s H-1B visa crackdown will hasten US firms’ shift of critical work to India, turbocharging the growth of global capability centres (GCCs) that handle operations from finance to research and development, economists and industry insiders say. The world’s fifth-largest economy is home to 1,700 GCCs, or more than half the global tally, having outgrown its tech support origins to become a hub of high-value innovation in areas from the design of luxury car dashboards to drug... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3327428/trumps-h-1b-visa-rules-may-accelerate-us-firms-shift-india?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3327428/trumps-h-1b-visa-rules-may-accelerate-us-firms-shift-india?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Sep 2025 12:35:13 +0000 Surabhi Anand Surabhi Anand The sudden escalation of US tariffs on Indian exports in August, first to 25 per cent and then doubled to 50 per cent, shook India’s export economy and sent shock waves through sectors dominated by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). While diplomatic postures have softened and negotiation appears to be under way, the event shed light on something deeper: the MSME workforce, particularly the young, remains vulnerable to such global trade unrest. The turbulence caused by the tariff might... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3326633/how-indias-small-firms-young-workers-will-bear-brunt-tariff-pain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3326633/how-indias-small-firms-young-workers-will-bear-brunt-tariff-pain?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Sep 2025 01:30:09 +0000