'PM Modi Is Smart, Reminding US He Has Choice': Expert Says India, China, Russia Not 'Best Of Friends' But...

(MENAFN- Live Mint) A global affairs expert said on Wednesday that India, China and Russia are not "best of friends" but US President Donald Trump has pushed India closer to Russia and China.

Analysing the bonhomie between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the SCO meet, the expert said, "PM Modi is smart. He is playing his cards and is reminding the US that he has a choice."

"I don't know that the US President Donald Trump has sought to counter anyone effectively. He seems to give Vladimir Putin whatever he wants; he does not seem to be able to hold the line in his tariff war with President Xi Jinping. Yes, he has pushed India closer to Russia and China," Edward Price, Adjunct Instructor, Centre for Global Affairs and Independent Analyst, School of Professional Studies, NYU.

Edward Price told news agency ANI, "It is not the case that India, China and Russia are the best of friends...It is pretty obvious with reference to history."

"The Chinese and Russians have a long-term complaint with each other...Chinese and the Indians have very deep civilisation differences and a border dispute. President Trump has pushed PM Modi closer to Putin and Xi," he said.

He said that it is now necessary "that those three men will now always work together."

Trump has 'no understanding of economics'

Edward Price said, "I used to think that US President Donald Trump had a very poor understanding of economics and I realise now that I was wrong. In fact, the US President has no understanding of economics, given the way he is behaving towards India..."

He said there is absolutely no reason, particularly in the current moment, to have the United States and India clash like this.

Trump tariffs

The experts comments came days after PM Modi, Vladmir Putin and Xi Jinping put on a united front at the SCO summit held in Tianjin, China earlier this week.

Analysts told Reuters that Xi and PM Modi are seeking to align against pressure from the West, days after US President Donald Trump imposed a punitive total of 50% tariff on Indian goods, partly in response to New Delhi's purchase of Russian oil.

Trump's moves hurt decades of carefully cultivated U.S. ties with New Delhi, which Washington had hoped would act as a regional counterweight to Beijing.

India and China are development partners, not rivals, PPM Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping agreed on Sunday, as they discussed ways to improve trade ties amid global tariff uncertainty.

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