The United States won’t give India the same kind of economic advantages it gave China that allowed Beijing to emerge as a major competitor, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Thursday, emphasising that the trade agreement that Washington has negotiated with New Delhi will keep American interests first.
Addressing the Raisina Dialogue 2026, Landau said the US government has to be accountable to its people just like the Indian government needs to be accountable to its own.
“India has got to understand that we are not going to make the same mistake that we made with China 20 years ago,” he said. “We [won’t] let you build and develop all these markets only to find you beating us in a lot of commercial things.
“We are going to make sure that whatever we do is fair to our people,” he added. “Because, ultimately, we have to be accountable to our own people, just as the government of India has to be accountable to its people.”
Landau implied that China’s economic growth in the past two decades was partly due to the previous US administrations. He emphasised that it would not be in the American interest to compete with another economy in the future of a similar scale or size as China's.
On the commercial and economic front, the US-India future is incredibly bright, Landau said, adding that both nations are led by figures who prioritise national interest.
“It seems logical that we are going to be deepening our cooperation. We have many win-win situations with India.”
The senior US official noted the trade deal, which was at the finish line, was poised to unlock “almost limitless potential”, and described India as a nation of incredible economic and human resources that will “decide the future of the century.”
Landau also offered US support in addressing India's short and long term energy needs, particularly as supply disruptions linked to the Middle East crisis threaten fuel flows.
"We are ready to work with India to ensure its energy needs are met in the short and long term. The US is well positioned to support India as it diversifies its energy sources," he said, adding that energy is an important area where both the countries can expand cooperation.
Negotiations on the India-US trade deal entered the slow lane following a February 20 US Supreme Court ruling that invalidated US President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs.
In response, Trump replaced those specific levies with a global 10 per cent to 15 per cent surcharge.
Indian goods now face a 10 per cent global tariff down from 25 per cent, the US offer to lower India’s rate to 18 per cent as part of a trade framework has lost its incentive. Consequently, New Delhi is adopting “strategic patience” to watch how things unfold globally following the judgment.