
Already close and cordial India/US political ties surged in the early hours of the new Trump administration. India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was honoured with rare front row seating at the Inauguration of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance at the Washington ceremony.
The guest from India commented, "It was very clear that the Trump administration's keen to have India present at the inauguration itself. They're clearly prioritising the bilateral relationship."
Mr Jaishankar added, "They would like to build on the foundation of the relationship, a foundation which the first Trump administration also contributed a lot to building."
Significantly, the first bilateral meeting between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mr Jaishankar was part of a gathering of the Indo-Pacific Quad security grouping.
This encounter marked Mr Rubio's first two-way meeting since assuming office.
The consultations formed part of a wider diplomatic effort to support the Quad grouping of Australia, India, Japan and the US, focusing on maritime, economic, and supply-chain security.
Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong were both in Washington for the inauguration and the Quad conference.
Contrary to misperceptions, Quad is not an Asian Nato nor a formal military alliance, yet the group comprising four leading maritime democracies in the Indo-Pacific serves as a maritime counter-balance to communist China, especially in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea.
A Quad joint statement following the meeting said they reaffirmed a "shared commitment to strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are upheld and defended".
The statement added, "We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion … We are committed to strengthening regional maritime, economic, and technology security in the face of increasing threats, as well as promoting reliable and resilient supply chains."
China, while clearly discussed at the Washington confab, was not specifically mentioned in the formal Statement.
Nonetheless Japan's Iwaya told the press that "it was very meaningful" that Mr Rubio's first meeting was a Quad gathering and that the first joint statement of the new US administration was released by the four countries. This allays some concern in Japan that the Trump administration would not value key Asian allies.
But back to India.
What's often called the world's largest democracy, India's post-independence political scene has fortunately avoided the tumultuous times facing neighbour Pakistan or much of South Asia. India celebrated its Republic Day, the 75th Anniversary of its constitution, a democratic and largely secular document uniting an overwhelmingly Hindu but still multi-religious, multi-ethnic and multi-linguistic nation-state.
India/US political ties have improved dramatically in the past 25 years, reflecting the bi-partisan approach in Washington towards what has emerged as a key political, diplomatic and commercial partner. Contrary to popular myth, India does not have formal military ties with Washington but has a close working relationship, as seen in the Quad.
And for the past 25 years, India's economy has become increasingly less socialist-inclined and more enterprise-oriented thus allowing for raised living standards and higher economic growth. Just look at economic links. During 2023, two-way India/US trade reached $124 billion (4.2 trillion baht).
The US trade deficit with India was $43 billion. But to illustrate how commercial ties have grown, a decade ago in 2013, the two-way trade with India stood at $64 billion. Then the deficit in New Delhi's favour was $20 billion; it doubled in a decade. As a matter of comparison, 2023 bilateral trade with China reached $574 billion, with a $279 billion trade deficit favouring Beijing!
India joins the list of top 10 US trade partners. Yet given the glaring deficit, shall Mr Trump focus on possibly using trade tariffs on India despite the close political ties with the Modi government? During the first Trump term, the US slapped higher tariffs on Indian steel and aluminium products. India's economic (GDP) growth remains impressive, slated at 6.8% for 2024.
Currently, US diplomats are busy trying to arrange a February meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Trump in Washington to help "seal the deal" for future ties.
John J Metzler is a UN correspondent covering diplomatic and defence issues. He is the author of 'Divided Dynamism: The Diplomacy of Separated Nations: Germany, Korea, China'.