The United States will ensure that any trade agreement with India prioritises American interests, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on Thursday, signalling a more guarded approach to economic ties even as both countries push toward a bilateral deal.
Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, Landau said Washington is keen to deepen cooperation with India but will avoid repeating past policy choices that, in the US view, allowed competitors to gain a commercial edge.
"India should understand that we're not going to make the same mistakes with India that we made with China 20 years ago in terms of saying, Oh, you know, we're going to let you, be able to develop all these markets,' and then the next thing we know, you're beating us in a lot of commercial things. We're going to make sure that whatever we do, it's fair to our people. Because ultimately, we have to be accountable to our own people, just as the government of India has to be accountable to its peop .
‘America First’ does not mean acting alone
Landau also addressed concerns that the current US administration’s “America First” approach could signal a retreat from international partnerships. He argued that the strategy does not exclude cooperation with other countries.
"America First obviously does not mean America alone, because one of the ways that you can accomplish those objectives is through cooperation with other countries."
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