'China threat rising, US needs India more than ever': US House member to Trump

In what could be a rebuke to US President Donald Trump's foreign policy, US House Member Bill Huizenga on Wednesday backed India, saying Washington needs New Delhi if it wants a free Indo-Pacific and resilient supply chains. Huizenga, during a hearing on the US–India relationship in the US House of Representatives, said that ties between the two countries were no longer just important, but a "defining relationship of the 21st century."

"If America wants a free Indo-Pacific, resilient supply chains in a world where democracy, not authoritarianism, sets the rules, then our partnership with India is critical," the Congressman said.

He added that while the partnership has been nuanced since India gained independence and India's non-alignment posture shaped its strategic identity, the US and India share a common vision of a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific rooted in democratic values and a deep desire for freedom.

"That's why every American administration, Republican and Democrat, has strengthened ties or certainly at least attempted to, making clear that the United States does not see India as a temporary or transactional partner," he added.

Under Trump, India–US ties have taken a hit due to 50% tariffs imposed on Indian goods. Of the 50% tariffs, 25% is for India's oil imports from Russia. The US has been pressuring India to cut back its oil imports from Russia to end the war in Ukraine. However, experts believe that Trump was upset after New Delhi did not give him any credit after the ceasefire between India and Pakistan.

The Congressman also flagged that Russian President Vladimir Putin's warm visit to India and India's participation in China's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit this September "raised some understandable concerns." At the same time, he added, India has agreed to purchase more American energy, "thereby reducing its reliance on Russia."

Huizenga also raised concerns over China's moves in the Indo-Pacific. "China and Russia are redrawing borders by force, undermining democratic norms and coercing their neighbors," he said. "Nowhere is this more evident than in the Indo-Pacific, where an increasingly aggressive China threatens regional stability, global prosperity, and the open flow of commerce."

He said that China's "string of pearls" ideology was no longer just a theory, "but rather an overt attempt to encircle and control the Indian Ocean, its sea lanes, and expand the militarization of these strategic ports and trade routes."

"We cannot allow this to happen," the Congressman said. "India knows these risks first-hand." "Since 2020, Chinese forces have killed Indian soldiers on their shared border. India has responded decisively, pushing back against Chinese military pressure and limiting China’s influence inside India and in neighboring Bhutan."

Highlighting the importance of Indo–US ties, Huizenga said that the partnership was not only about security. "In fact, I'm submitting a letter for the record from the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, supporting the work of this hearing and stressing that the US–India relationship is not just a diplomatic one, but rather a living bridge of shared values, democratic principles and economic opportunity without any objection."

The Congressman further added that India is one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world. "American companies increasingly see India not just as a market but as a partner to innovation, especially in AI, communications and advanced technologies where collaboration already exists. American companies are eager to enter the Indian market on a level playing field."

Not just Huizenga, Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove also slammed Trump for tanking the India–US relationship. She held up the widely shared image of Putin and Modi in a car and blasted Trump for pushing New Delhi towards Russia.

"Trump's policies towards India can only be described as cutting our nose to spite our face, and this is doing real and lasting damage to the strategic trust and mutual understanding between our two countries. Because let me be clear, being a coercive partner has a cost," she said, pointing towards the photo. "This poster is worth 1,000 words."

She said the US must urgently move to normalise ties with India. "You do not get a Nobel Peace Prize by driving US strategic partners into the arms of our adversaries. We must move with incredible urgency to mitigate the damage this administration has done to the US–India partnership and return to the cooperation that is essential to US prosperity, security, and global leadership," she said.