The following excerpt is from an op-ed written by Rishi Gupta, Assistant Director at the Asia Society Policy Institute in New Delhi, and published in Think China.

“Mr Prime Minister, you are great” — a message President Donald Trump signed on the coffee table book Our Journey Together that he gifted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the latter’s first state visit to the U.S. on 13 February. The message was a nod to the “bromance” the two leaders shared during President Trump’s first tenure in office.

Modi was the second non-treaty ally of the U.S. to be hosted by Trump within three weeks of taking the oath of office for the second time. This was also Modi’s second visit to the U.S. in less than six months. Modi’s state visit was marked by optimism, a quest to maintain the momentum in the India-U.S. Global Strategic Partnership, which grew multifold in several sectors during the Biden administration.

For decades, India and the U.S. have found common ground in their strategic challenge — China. However, the lexicon in the US appears to be shifting, raising critical questions — where does Beijing now figure into the India-U.S. equation, and how do the Trump-Modi summit outcomes redefine the India-U.S.-China triangle? 

Read the full article here.