Asia is nervous about Trump, but US-India ties could improve

[webfact]

Asia is nervous about Trump, but US-India ties could improve

By MATTHEW PENNINGTON and KATY DAIGLE

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Some Asian nations are watching anxiously as Donald Trump prepares to take up the presidency, but for at least one major power in the region, India, the changing of the guard in Washington could strengthen ties.

 

During a brutal election campaign, where Trump's rhetoric on foreign partners was overwhelmingly negative, he was largely positive about India — or at least its Hindu majority — and its nationalist prime minister, Narendra Modi.

 

When Trump courted Indian-American voters at a rally in New Jersey in mid-October, he said, "There won't be any relationship more important to us." He praised Modi — another populist who is savvy in using social media — as a "great man" for championing bureaucratic reforms and economic growth.

 

There are other hints that Trump is well-disposed toward India.

 

He has done a lot of business there. A Washington Post analysis of Trump's pre-election financial disclosure found that of his 111 international business deals, the highest number — 16 — were in India. He stirred controversy last week over potential conflicts of interest by meeting with three Indian business partners who are building a Trump-branded luxury apartment complex in the city of Pune.

 

On Wednesday he selected South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, the daughter of Indian Sikh immigrants, to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations — the first woman tapped for a Cabinet-level post in his administration. Haley has no foreign policy experience.

 

It remains a matter of conjecture how any of this will shape the approach taken by a Trump administration when he takes office Jan. 20. But Lisa Curtis at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank said it was "easy to envision" the U.S. and India working closer on counter-terrorism.

 

India hopes that Trump's promise to fight radical Islamic militants will mean more American pressure on Pakistan and less aid for India's historic archrival. Militants based in Pakistan are accused of launching cross-border attacks inside India.

 

Neelam Deo, who heads the Mumbai-based think tank Gateway House, said India would also welcome it if Trump builds a working relationship with Russia in fighting the Islamic State group.

 

But Deo predicted U.S.-India friction if Trump restricts non-immigrant visas for Indians to try to protect American workers. She said that 60 percent of India's information technology experts who work abroad go to the U.S.

 

Biswajit Dhar, an economics professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, said that how Trump approaches immigration is a major concern in India and tough action "is going to rattle quite a lot here."

 

Lalit Mansingh, a former Indian ambassador to the U.S., said reactions in India to Trump's election victory have ranged from vocal support from right-wingers to shock and disappointment among the liberal intelligentsia. He said people had noticed that Trump had attended election campaign events with Hindus rather than the broader Indian-American community.

 

India is 80 percent Hindu, but 14 percent of its 1.3 billion people are Muslims.

 

U.S.-India relations have advanced under President Barack Obama, particularly since Modi's election in 2014. When Modi addressed Congress this June, he described the U.S. as an "indispensable partner" and said together they could anchor stability and prosperity from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific.

 

Staunch U.S. allies like Japan and South Korea, which host American forces and depend on U.S. nuclear deterrence, have been unnerved by Trump's call for nations to shoulder more of the burden for security in Asia.

 

But that is less of a concern for India, which is not a formal ally of the U.S. It has expanded its military cooperation with Washington and purchased American hardware as it modernizes its armed forces. But it prizes having an independent foreign policy, as it did during the Cold War.

 

"India's interest in taking on a larger role fits in with Mr. Trump's view of U.S. friends and partners doing more in their own regions," said C. Raja Mohan, director of the Carnegie India think tank.

 

Trump plans to take an ax to the main economic element of Obama's Asia policy — the Trans-Pacific Partnership. He said this week that he will end U.S. participation in the 12-nation trade pact. India is not involved in the agreement.

 

But India would be concerned if Trump adopted an isolationist stance and dialed back the U.S. presence in the Asia-Pacific.

"India is worried about China's dominance in this region," Dhar said.

____

Daigle contributed to this report from New Delhi.

 

-- © Associated Press 2016-11-25

[tonbridgebrit]

"India is worried about China's dominance in this region,"


What a silly comment to make. China is not interested in invading India. China's only concern is, if India starts to build factories and compete with China to export cheap goods to America and Europe.

Also, let's say that Thailand and the Philipinnes are falling into China's arms. Well, what's that got to do with India ? India can offer to put  zero taxes on it's imports from Thailand and the Philipinnes if it wants to. And how about India creates a free trade zone made up of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka ?

Anyway, no need for India to worry. Obama's pivot to the Pacific is not going to happen, but Trump might boost links between India and the USA.

 

[zaphod reborn]

1 hour ago, tonbridgebrit said:

"India is worried about China's dominance in this region,"
Trump might boost links between India and the USA.

 

 

And another broken campaign promise.  Trump claimed that he would close the H-1B visa loophole which has allowed a substantial number of US IT jobs to be given to Indian immigrants.  He will soon retreat from this position and actually broaden the scope of this immigration loophole, because the corporate lobbyists will insist upon it.  Trump is the swamp.

Edited November 25, 2016 by zaphod reborn

[DuckDach]

I don't think so

India is and has always been suspicious of everyone and with such a big agenda to improve their own country and system

I doubt they will cosy up to USA as they have enough issues on their own


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[Morch]

8 hours ago, tonbridgebrit said:

"India is worried about China's dominance in this region,"


What a silly comment to make. China is not interested in invading India. China's only concern is, if India starts to build factories and compete with China to export cheap goods to America and Europe.

Also, let's say that Thailand and the Philipinnes are falling into China's arms. Well, what's that got to do with India ? India can offer to put  zero taxes on it's imports from Thailand and the Philipinnes if it wants to. And how about India creates a free trade zone made up of Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka ?

Anyway, no need for India to worry. Obama's pivot to the Pacific is not going to happen, but Trump might boost links between India and the USA.

 

 

Silly for anyone not seeing it from India's POV, and bent on presenting the PRC in the brightest colors possible. I doubt that India pays much attention to the assurances of a clearly biased poster with regard to the PRC's intents and plans.

 

India and the PRC got a history of military clashes, and more recently, a sort of rivalry over influence in Asia. Suggesting India would initiate a free trading zone with the countries specified doesn't convey a whole lot of having a clue with regard to how things stand between said nations, and what India could possibly gain from it.

 

As mentioned on another post, to the degree that Trump's statements represent actual upcoming policy changes, it is unlikely that links, and specifically trade links, would be improved.

 

[tonbridgebrit]

On 25/11/2016 at 8:34 PM, Morch said:

 

Silly for anyone not seeing it from India's POV, and bent on presenting the PRC in the brightest colors possible. I doubt that India pays much attention to the assurances of a clearly biased poster with regard to the PRC's intents and plans.

 

India and the PRC got a history of military clashes, and more recently, a sort of rivalry over influence in Asia. Suggesting India would initiate a free trading zone with the countries specified doesn't convey a whole lot of having a clue with regard to how things stand between said nations, and what India could possibly gain from it.

 

As mentioned on another post, to the degree that Trump's statements represent actual upcoming policy changes, it is unlikely that links, and specifically trade links, would be improved.

 

 

Okay, okay, you reckon I'm talking nonsense when I'm suggesting that India should try and create a free-trade zone involving itself, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Well, most countries want to be in a free-trade zone with their neighbours.

Oh, so India doesn't actually like Pakistan, and it's other neighbours ? Well, in that case, instead of fearing China, maybe India should sort out Pakistan first ?

And if India doesn't want to be in a united free-trade zone with it's neighbours, well, how about increasing trade with Thailand and the Philipinnes by removing taxes on it's imports from those countries ? Oh, India might not want to do that, because, because India might have import restrictions in order to protect it's own domestic producers ??

Right, so India is unhappy about Thailand and the Philipinnes (and the rest of ASEAN) falling into China's arms. And, at the same time, India is refusing to scrap all import taxes from it's ASEAN imports (in order to boost trade and links with ASEAN).

Man, what next ?  How about India is getting scared, because China is importing more and more stuff from Africa ? It's ridiculous. What's India going to do ? Tell Africa and ASEAN to reduce their trade with China ? How about tell Europe and America to reduce their imports from China ? It's ridiculous.

 

 

[Morch]

13 minutes ago, tonbridgebrit said:

 

Okay, okay, you reckon I'm talking nonsense when I'm suggesting that India should try and create a free-trade zone involving itself, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Well, most countries want to be in a free-trade zone with their neighbours.

Oh, so India doesn't actually like Pakistan, and it's other neighbours ? Well, in that case, instead of fearing China, maybe India should sort out Pakistan first ?

And if India doesn't want to be in a united free-trade zone with it's neighbours, well, how about increasing trade with Thailand and the Philipinnes by removing taxes on it's imports from those countries ? Oh, India might not want to do that, because, because India might have import restrictions in order to protect it's own domestic producers ??

Right, so India is unhappy about Thailand and the Philipinnes (and the rest of ASEAN) falling into China's arms. And, at the same time, India is refusing to scrap all import taxes from it's ASEAN imports (in order to boost trade and links with ASEAN).

Man, what next ?  How about India is getting scared, because China is importing more and more stuff from Africa ? It's ridiculous. What's India going to do ? Tell Africa and ASEAN to reduce their trade with China ? How about tell Europe and America to reduce their imports from China ? It's ridiculous.

 

 

 

I reckon that anything you post will be heavily biased in favor of PRC positions, regardless of topic at hand.

I reckon you do not have much insight with regard to India, nor much interest other than asserting a pro-PRC view.

 

India is hardly the only country worried about the PRC's expanding economic, military and political influence in the region. There are already trade agreements in place between ASEAN and India (for example, AIFTA), on top of bilateral agreements with individual countries , and India's membership in other regional agreements (BIMSTEC, MGC).

 

 

[boomerangutang]

On 11/25/2016 at 11:27 AM, tonbridgebrit said:

"India is worried about China's dominance in this region,"
What a silly comment to make. China is not interested in invading India. 

 

There are disputed borders between India and China, mostly involving parts of Tibet which China took over militarily in the 1950's.  At any given time, Tibetans are trying to sneak across borders into India.  More than a few stories tell of Tibetans climbing up and over snow-covered Himalayan passes ('La' in Tibetan), and being shot in the back by Chinese military.