New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has adopted a very aggressive stance regarding tariffs.
He has increased tariffs on imports from countries like China, Mexico, and Canada. Trump is chanting the mantra 'as much tariff on us, as much tariff in return'. He has warned India by name and has announced the implementation of reciprocal tariffs from April 2. Even amidst such an environment, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar has expressed confidence that relations between India and America will become stronger. He said that the changes seen in US foreign policy during Trump's second term are 'as expected' and India will benefit 'in many ways' from it.
'Trump’s Foreign Policy Beneficial for India'
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said that the change in US foreign policy under President Donald Trump was 'as expected'. This change is beneficial for India in many ways, as the steps of the Republican administration are taking the world towards a multipolar system. A multipolar system means that there will be more than one powerful country in the world, not just one country dominating. This gives more freedom and power to countries like India.
Jaishankar said that US foreign policy under Trump was not surprising. Leaders often do what they promise before the election. They do not always succeed, but they definitely try. Trump had also told about his policies in advance, so there is nothing surprising in this. The minister said this in a conversation with Bronwen Maddox, Director of Chatham House in London.
India-US Relations Have Huge Potential
Rajya Sabha MP Jaishankar also mentioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Washington. He said that there is a lot of potential in the relations between India and America. He said, 'When I look at our interests and expectations from the relationship, I see a lot of potential.'
Jaishankar said, 'In our view, the US President and the administration are moving towards multipolarity. This is beneficial for India.' News agency PTI quoted the Foreign Minister as saying, 'To be honest, we have never had any issues with US presidents, at least not in recent times. There is no burden in our relationship.' Meaning, there is no old bitterness between the two countries.
India Not Looking to Replace the US Dollar
Jaishankar also talked about replacing the US dollar as an international reserve currency. He said that India has no such policy. He said, 'The dollar is a source of international economic stability, and right now the world needs more economic stability, not less.'
Jaishankar also said that there is no consensus among the BRICS countries on replacing the US dollar. BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—five big developing countries. The Foreign Minister said, 'We believe that working together with the US and strengthening the international financial and economic system should be the real priority. Our strategic assessment and our understanding of the needs of the international economy will guide our thinking in this matter.'
Conclusion: India Wants Strong US Ties
Overall, Jaishankar made it clear that India wants good relations with the US. He emphasized that there should be many powerful countries in the world, not just one. And at present, there is no benefit in changing the dollar.
